Mass Effect 4 - The Streamer's Edge
by Alan Tryth
Summary: Four centuries have passed since Commander Shepard destroyed the Reapers. In an isolated corner of the galaxy, a refueling station repairman discovers a terrible secret that could undo everything Shepard fought for. With a ragtag team of unlikely would-be heroes, he must race to the Citadel to warn the Council ... but will they even listen to him if he gets there?
1. Chapter 1 - The Middle of Nowhere

_Mass Effect 4 - The Streamer's Edge_

**Chapter 1 **

**The Middle of Nowhere**

Finn leapt through the closing blast door mere seconds before it sealed shut behind him. His limbs already ached from exertion, but he had no time to rest. Gritting his teeth and pushing through the ache that was spreading rapidly through his body, he continued sprinting forward through the hallways. He wasn't alone; crystalline bipedal creatures tore themselves from the walls as he passed. They were crudely humanoid, like something a child might draw; this was an advantage, as they couldn't move quickly enough to catch him, though some were able to fire shards of themselves at him as he passed. Several sliced through the hard carapace of his armor, but none came close enough to cause injury, or indeed even slow him down.

He blasted through one of the creatures that had the misfortune of attempting to rise from the ground in front of him. His trusty Adams shotgun tore through the crystal with ease, sending fragments of the creature flying until only shards of the legs remained. He took a few more shots at other creatures as he passed, but his focus was on the hallway ahead. The injured creatures made no sound as the explosive rounds tore through their bodies. Had he time to wonder, Finn would no doubt question whether or not they were truly creatures, or just another creation of his captor. As it was, he hadn't the time.

The next door began to rise from the floor. Finn leapt over it easily, only to find himself in a dead end. Grunting, he turned to backtrack, only to see the door slide shut behind him. He ran around the room, his eyes darting to every nook and cranny for some sign of an exit to no avail, only to stop dead in his tracks at the sound of evil laughter.

"Running, running, always running, yet where did it get you? Trapped like a ratty-rat in a cage! Come now, Finn, Did you think you'd truly be able to escape me?"

Defiant, Finn shouted up at the intercom, "Face me like a man, you coward!"

Laughter rang through the chamber again. "And why would I want to do that? You're physically much stronger than I, and faster too. In terms of strength, I admit you're my better."

The tiles on the floor began to rise and join together until they formed a massive polygonal golem. With a loud buzzing sound, massive omni-claws formed around the golem's arms.

"In the realm of the mind, however, I am the master. Wilhelm; deal with the hero."

Finn tensed his body as a brilliant burst of light fired from the golem's single eye, wondering if the last sound he would ever hear would be the shrill whine of the alarm ringing in his ears.

* * *

Finn sat up abruptly in the makeshift bunk he called a bed. The book he had been reading the night before fell off his chest and hit the floor with a thud, the title "The Crusade of Sir Tirager Vespere, Knight of Justice" just visible on the faded cover. He stared around bleakly before his mind identified the shrill ring of his alarm. He smacked the top of the ancient clock with his fist, ignoring the audible crunch of the clock's casing.

With a sigh, he fell back into his bunk and stared up at his ceiling, a patchwork of circuitry, heating vents, and wires. For a time, he considered going back to sleep. Sure, he had things to do, but it wasn't like they were going anywhere.

Just was just drifting off when something heavy landed on his stomach, effectively knocking the breath out of him.

"C'mon, Finn! Get up already! We got stuff to do!"

With a groan, Finn grabbed his pillow and buried his face in it, only for a metal claw to grab it and tear it from his grasp.

"Wakey-wakey!" A circular display showing the smiling dog-like face appeared directly in his field of view. "Darsan's already got the list going. Can't fix things while you're in bed."

"If only I had some sort of engineering robot." Finn muttered sarcastically as he shoved the KEI-9 unit off his chest. It leapt away and landed on all fours a short distance away from the bed, its metal tail wagging.

Annoyance fading, He reflexively rubbed Jake's head for a moment before sitting down at his workbench.

Jake hopped up on a nearby stool and raised himself over the edge of the workbench. After surveying the parts for a moment, he asked, "Ah, the long range sensors are still giving you trouble?"

"What's left of them." Finn poked around at the parts on his bench for a moment before letting out a sigh. "This station's just too old. Without a fresh supply of parts, or at least access to an unguarded junkyard, I don't see this place lasting more than a year."

"You always say that, Finn." Jake said, pausing a moment to work a bit of grit out of his neck joints. "Still, you always keep us floating out here."

"Hmm. Well, maybe Darsan'll manage to get some backing from that Hanar rep. Their government should be paying us, seeing as we fuel half their damn traffic into the Shrike Abyssal."

"Yeah. You just know they're up to something."

Finn gave up on the shattered array, at least for the moment. "I'm gonna go get some coffee. You want something, Jake?"

"Nah, I'm good."

Shrugging, Finn climbed up the steel rungs to the main deck of the station. It wasn't much to speak of; barely more than a hundred meters square, every inch of it crowded and dirty. The bar was little more than a makeshift desk in front of an odd collection of liquors. The shop was a complete junk heap that smelled strongly of must, old tobacco, and polishing cream. The only area that looked half-way clean was the eating area, a collection of old tables and mismatched chairs.

Outpost J-27 was the galactic equivalent of a ratty little gas station in the middle of nowhere. The place looked to be one breath from falling apart, and was in desperate need of assistance of an army of maids armed with sterilizing wands. On the other hand, it was the only refueling station between the Silean Nebula and the Shrike Abyssal; you either dumped your core there or you slowly roasted for the next thousand light-years.

Two drell were sitting at one of the tables. Finn hadn't seen many drell in his time; they looked mostly human, albeit on the scaly side. It was the eyes that made him uneasy; the drells' solid black eyes that made it impossible to see where they were looking. Up close, Finn could tell that they were, in fact, looking everywhere.

The hanar had referred to them as its associates, but Finn knew a bodyguard when he saw one. Right now, he saw two, meditating silently at their tables. He made a friendly wave, more out of habit than any sense of politeness. They returned the gesture, but said nothing.

The coffee maker's basket had a thick layer of tar that had long rendered the machine unable to produce anything any sane sapient would consider actual coffee. Still, it hit your brain like an electrically charged boot, and the taste wasn't that bad if you didn't let it linger in your mouth.

Finn considered making some breakfast, but decided against it; the café was set on a time-table, and some nutter had locked the early morning menu to something it referred to as 'Traditional English Breakfast'. He had tried it once out of curiosity. It was … not good.

As Finn poured himself a cup of the dark brown liquid, he became aware of the sound of a heated argument. There was no shouting; elcor didn't shout, and neither did the hanar. The whispering of the hanar, however, was not an easy thing to ignore, and Darsan's normal booming monotone was impossible not to hear.

"Annoyed. Our terms are more than fair."

"This one … does not know. This one feels that it is being taken advantage of, just as it has been taken advantage of before."

"Condescending; you are a fool, Opylius. This deal is fair and equitable; don't get greedy."

"This one is not asking for more than its fair share! Darsan is taking advantage of being the only base …"

"impatient; the only base not monitored by the Citadel Fleet. Sarcastic; if my station isn't good enough for you, feel free to take your business back to Omega."

"Perhaps this one will!"

The door to Darsan's cabin slid open. The hanar floated quickly from the door, its long tendrils recoiling from touching the floor. Finn still had a hard time not comparing the sapient beings to jellyfish.

Darsan followed him out. In many respects, he was a typical elcor; large frame, massive forearms that he typically used to walk, and the strange expressionless face marked only with a few slits where most species had a mouth.

That, however, was where Darsan's similarities with his people ended. Where most elcor made do with the traditional garments (typically, pants, arm-warmers, and the elcor equivalent of a shirt (essentially just a square of cloth worn over their back), Darsan wore a pair of khaki slacks cut to fit his frame with an equally professional-looking jacket (again, cut to fit his large frame) with the phrase, "J-27 or Bust" sewn on the back.

Still, that wasn't too unusual. The thing that never ceased to bring a smirk to Finn's face was the large wide-brim purple hat with a zebra-pattern stripe around the top. No one knew where he got it; he simply left his cabin one day wearing it with the elcor equivalent of a grin.

"Jeering." The elcor said in his deep monotone, "Give Aria my best wishes."

The hanar quivered slightly before rushing towards the airlock to his ship. The drell rose from their table and followed their 'associate', but not before giving both Finn and Darsan polite nods.

As the airlock slid closed, Finn said, "Don't worry; I took the liberty of pulling the credits from his account for the fuel and services provided."

"Pleased; good thinking, Finn. Certain; he will return soon enough. That jellyfish won't risk a deal with Aria. She does not care for its kind."

"She's none too fond of the elcor either." Finn said pointedly.

Darsan shrugged his massive shoulders. "Indifferently; as long as she is at Omega and not here, there is no problem."

There was a brief shudder as the hanar's ship disconnected from the station. Finn used the pause to take a sip of what could only loosely be called 'coffee'. Grimacing from the taste, he said, "Hey, I'm gonna make a run to Krieger's today, see if I can't find something to get our long-range sensors back up and running again."

"Worried; is it beyond repair?"

"I ain't gonna lie." Finn told him. "It's in pretty rough shape. That, and the fact that model hasn't been in production for over a century make it a tough fix. Still, Krieger was going on about finding some serious salvage last time he was in; maybe he's found something with an intact unit."

"Relieved but cautious; what will it cost?"

"I dunno. Depends what I can find, and whether I can convince that nut it's not worth that much." Finn glanced at the pod door that led to the sensor array. "Sure be nice if the Alliance would chip in a little."

Darsan glanced at the pod door and slowly shook his head. "Fretful; the Alliance's presence offers us some protection. I would not want to 'push out luck', as your people say."

"Push our luck." Finn corrected as he washed out his coffee cup in the bar sink. "Well, we'll see how it goes. Just remember; if we don't get it up and running, we won't know what's out there beyond this system."

"Concerned; it is not a pleasant thought."

As he wiped his hands on a clean towel, Finn said, "I'll let you know what I find, and we'll figure it out from there, okay?"

"Accepting; sounds like a plan. Be careful out there, Finn."

Finn climbed back down to his workshop. As he began to work at his console, Jake reactivated and ambled over to him. "Whatcha doin', buddy?"

"Warming up the Gradisian." Finn glanced down at his little friend. "You up for a trip?"

"You bet!"

A round hatch slid open along the far wall, knocking over several stacks of parts in the process.

"Oops." Finn muttered as Jake leapt through the hatch. Just as he started to climb through after him, however, he was stopped by the sound of someone hurriedly trying to climb down the ladder into his workshop.

A thin man in a loose-fitting alliance uniform landed unsteadily beside the ladder and quickly turned to Finn, saying, "Wait a minute!"

Specialist Mannon was a relatively new fixture to the station. Barely out of training, the only reason she was there was to satisfy some obscure Alliance treaty that no one remembered anymore. Technically, she was supposed to be keeping an eye out for trouble, but as it was, she controlled the station's communications array. Finn really didn't mind; she was almost as good at patching up the floating heap of junk as he was.

"What's up?" Finn asked, crossing his arms.

"You're going to Krieger's right? To look for long-range scanner parts?"

"Among other things."

"Could you pick me up an energy converter? Mark five in the least, doesn't matter what brand."

Finn raised an eyebrow at this. "You sure about that? The new Elkoss Combine Mark 5's melt down in a matter of months."

"Doesn't matter; I'm stripping it for parts. I think I found a way to boost our transmission range."

"Uh-huh. Like last time?"

Mannon's face went red. "T-that was an accident. Anybody could've made the same mistake."

Finn held up his hands, saying, "All right, all right! I'm just messin' with you. I'll see what I can find."

Finn started to go through the hatch again when a thought occurred to him. Stepping back out, he said, "What kind of extra range you talkin' about?"

"Nothing as major as another system. A few thousand light years at bests."

"Why bother? There's nothing out there."

An unusually pensive look settled on Private Mannon's face. "Maybe, maybe not."

He sighed, but he couldn't get mad at her. She reminded him of his sister, Alea; same small frame, same perpetually unkempt hair, and the strange insistence on wearing glasses which only served to make her eyes look unnaturally large.

Shaking his head, Finn said, "Well, I'll keep my eyes open."

"Thanks, Finn." Private Mannon bobbed her head at Finn before starting up the rungs.

As Finn climbed down into the cockpit of the Gradisian, he felt a pair of metal paws touch his shoulders. "What was the hold up, man?"

"You know how it is." Finn said, already working on starting up the ship, "You tell people you're going shopping, suddenly everybody needs you to pick up something."

"Heh. Yeah." Jake settled in the copilot's seat and wagged his tail happily. Finn couldn't help but smile.

The Gradisian was a refitted quarian fighter, originally built four-hundred years ago during the Reaper War. The fact that it was still in prime condition was a testament to the quarian's technical prowess; even when something did break, fixing it was never a problem. The weapons were very underpowered for the time, but the drive was still fully functional, if a few centuries newer than the ship it powered.

As the cockpit slid shut, Finn patted Jake on the head and asked, "You ready?"

"Always, man! Let's go!"

With a nod, Finn pulled the release lever. The Gradisian separated from the station and slowly began to move forward.

"Energy distribution normal." Finn muttered as he ran a quick diagnostic over the Gradisian's systems. "Life support fully powered, shield generators are charged."

By now, the station was behind them, visible through a tiny window in the rear of the craft. As he reached for the throttle, he couldn't help but stare at it; it honestly didn't look much better from the outside: A collection of battered parts haphazardly welded into a liveable space. The planetoid that Outpost J-27 orbited was, in all respects, a hunk of worthless rock that barely managed to have enough gravity for the station to have a proper orbit. The heavy concentrations of Sulfur and Ammonia made it deadly to all but the Volus, and the extreme heat kept any of them from staking a claim. There was no point anyway; the planetoid had long since been mined of anything useful.

Still, it was still home.

"Sensors online!" Jake said cheerily, breaking Finn from his reverie. "We're clear!"

Shaking his head, he said, "Engaging drive." As he pushed forward on the throttle, the universe in front of him became a blur.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Collection

Chapter 2

**The Collection**

The Gradisian's FTL engines died as Finn and Jake neared Krieger's Junkyard. It was still a good distance away from Krieger's actual station, but the floating debris that surrounded the volus's shop made stopping any closer a hazardous proposition. Most of the debris consisted of abandoned ships long since defunct, though Finn knew from experience that a few were quite functional; Krieger had set up a fairly complicated security grid that was rigged into the weapon systems of some of the more recent ships.

Finn transmitted the friend code Krieger had given him, saying, "Not long now. You okay back there?"

Jake sat up and let out what sounded like a yawn. "I'm bored!"

Finn grinned at his old friend. "You wanted to come along."

"That's when I thought it wouldn't take so long. It didn't take this long last time, I'm sure of it." Jake put his front paws on the back of Finn's chair and poked his face over the top of the headrest. "Why does he keep the place so trashy anyway? I thought the volus were all about selling stuff."

"Krieger's more of a collector. He only sells the extra stuff to fund future acquisitions."

"Huh. So he collects junk?"

"Pretty much." The Gradisian's proximity alarm began chirping. Nodding, Finn said, "Better settle back down; this might get a little bumpy."

The nature of the junk field made it impossible to predict a safe path. Incoming pilots had to rely on manual control and fly through an starborne obstacle course or risk becoming just another junked vessel.

"Whoa!" Jake exclaimed as a bit of floating metal banged off the side of the Gradisian. "Careful."

Finn snorted. "Relax. I've been flying since I was a kid."

Old ships and junk were everywhere, but Finn wasn't lying about his past experience. He maneuvered the Gradisian through the field with expert skill. A few small chunks of debris banged off of the hull, but he always managed to slip his fighter through the more dangerous debris, no matter how tightly packed.

Spinning past the broken wing of an Alliance frigate and the bulk of an old krogan scouting vessel, the Gradisian finally left the debris field and entered the small ring of clear space surrounding Krieger's station. It was much larger than J-27, and incorporated the parts of no less than thirty ships. Some of that power went to maintaining the station's shielding and environmental systems, but most of it was dedicated to the kinetic barriers that kept the junk from crashing into the station.

As the Gradisian drew nearer, Finn spotted another ship at one of the docking ports.

"Huh." He said, squinting at the ship. "Don't recognize that one."

Jake peered over the seat again. "Ooh! Let me see!"

The ship was about the same size as the Gradisian, but shared little in common beyond that. The hull was smooth and tapered towards the tail end. Instead of wings, the ship was equipped with several rings that were seemingly unattached to the ship. Finn looked over the ship for an insignia to no avail; whoever it was didn't want anyone knowing with whom he, she, or it was associated.

"Looks pretty slick." Jake said, his tail end wagging.

"Indeed." Shrugging, Finn started maneuvering his ship to a different docking port. It was unusual to see someone else at Kriegers place, but not unheard of.

Once the docking clamps locked onto the Gradisian's frame, Finn opened the ships hatch. Jake bounded out of the craft before the side door had fully raised and ran toward the station entrance. Chuckling, Finn unbuckled his harness and followed suite. After a good stretch, he walked towards the entrance at a leisurely pace, idly wondering what Krieger had added to his collection since Finn's last visit.

"Oh well." He said to no one in particular. "I'm sure he'll tell me soon enough."

Tapping the panel beside the station entrance, Finn said, "Hey Krieger! It's me, Finn!"

After a few moments passed with no response, Finn tried again. "Krieger, you there man?"

When there was still no answer, Finn frowned. "That's odd."

"I'll say." Jake agreed. "Usually he can't get out here fast enough. I wonder what's up?"

His eyes fell on the strange craft. Suspicions started to creep into his mind.

"Jake." He asked, not taking his eyes of the craft, "I've got a bad feeling about this. Hack the door."

"You got it!" Jake rose up on his hind legs and pressed his paw against the door's control panel. After a few moments, the door slowly opened.

"Good job." Finn said, rubbing Jake's smooth head. "Now stay here."

Jake's face image pouted. "Aww! Why do you get all the fun?"

"Because you're a lot better at hacking than me. See if you can get a look at that weird ship's computer files without tripping the security system; if something weird is going on, I'll bet every credit I've got that the pilot has something to do with it."

"Ah! Don't worry, Finn! I'll crack it in no time!"

Nodding, Finn turned back to the entrance and stepped into the main lobby.

As mentioned before, Kreiger was a collector who basically sells anything he deems superfluous to his collection. The collection itself, however, is as eclectic as life itself; as Finn walked through the lobby, his eyes passed over a sealed case that held a stack of Blasto comic books, several asari musical instruments shaped out of what appeared to be seashells, a collection of baseballs and bats from Earth, and a holo-projector that was playing Francis Kitt's all-elcor production of Hamlet. There were dozens of cases in that room alone, each filled with similarly odd objects. There were hundreds of rooms just like it throughout the station.

Not everything was in a case, however; Krieger kept some other odds and ends on various shelves and stored in containers, typically things he deemed not worth collecting or extras of things he already had. Most of it would be classified as junk, but Finn had discovered a few treasures here and there.

Finn barely spared them a glance that day, as his eyes were on the door on the back wall of the Lobby. As he passed a barrel filled with baseball bats, Finn paused for a moment before picking up an old aluminum bat that was more or less in good shape. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it was better than nothing.

Slowly, he crept towards the back door with bat in hand. As he drew nearer, he was able to hear the sounds of conversation from beyond the door. He strained to hear, but couldn't make out any words.

Finn took a careful step forward, only to have the door slide open, revealing a volus and what looked to be a turian wearing a hooded robe.

The volus stepped back reflexively. It was impossible to read the facial expression behind the mask of his blue environmental suit, but there was definite surprise in his voice as he said, "What the … Finn?"

"Krieger!" Finn said, embarrassed but relieved. "When I found the door locked, I was worried."

"Locked? I never locked the door." Krieger glanced up at the hooded figure.

"My apologies." She said, her mandibles faintly visible in the depths of her hood. "Old habits die hard. Still, I see you managed to get inside in spite of the door being locked, Mister …?"

Sounding a little uncomfortable, Krieger patted Finn on the arm, saying, "This is Finn Cresste; he's the maintenance man on station J-27. Finn, this is P'Terya-"

"Just Terra is fine." She interrupted, extending her hand.

Finn accepted her hand a bit awkwardly; either his knowledge of turian physiology was wrong, or she had an extra finger. In either case, it seemed rude to point it out.

"Nice to meet you. I hate to leave so abruptly, but I've got another stop to make before heading home." After bowing her head respectfully for a moment, she started walking towards the station entrance.

As she left, Krieger motioned for Finn to follow him into the backroom. The backroom was essentially Krieger's office. Heavy filing cabinets lined the walls. The cabinets contained certificates of authenticity, trade receipts, and other such identifying documents. While a datapad would have been a more efficient storage medium, Krieger insisted on keeping actual files on his collection.

"I hate to stick my nose in other people's business-" Finn began.

Krieger chuckled as he sat down at his desk. "She's a representative of one of my clients. Nice enough girl, if a bit odd. Kinda like you, now that I think about it."

"Odd? I'm not odd. Not really."

"Uh-huh. So you found the front door locked, immediately leaped to the conclusion that someone was assaulting me, hacked open my door, and picked up a baseball bat to whack whoever it was in the head. Yeah, that sounds completely logical. Say, how did you get my door open anyway?"

"Jake helped me out." Finn said, hoping his friend had been listening in and would accordingly distance himself from Terra's vessel before she left the station.

Krieger perked up considerably. "Ah, you brought your little KEI-9 unit again! Have you reconsidered my offer?"

"Sorry, Krieger." Finn said, not unkindly. "But Jake's my buddy. He's not for sale."

"Oh well. Never know unless you ask, I suppose." Krieger shook his head and asked, "So, what does bring you here today? Surely you're here for more than that bat."

"The … oh, right." Finn set the bat against one of the cabinets, saying, "I'm looking for parts to repair an E5-TS long-range scanner and a mark five energy converter."

"Indeed?" Krieger tapped at his keyboard for a few moments before saying, "Well, I've got an entire E5-TS array in my recent haul; pulled it from an old turian wreck I found recently. As for the energy converter, I've got a few scragged Elkoss units I could probably scrape together."

He paused for a moment before saying, "I do have some higher-quality parts on hand, if you're interested. They aren't cheap, but I might be willing to let them go if you can help me with a little something."

"Something?"

Krieger rose from his chair and motioned for Finn to follow. They walked through the hallways of the station. More of the collection filled the hallways, though most of the artifacts were in rooms that opened on either side of the corridor. Finn couldn't help but peek at the other rooms; he had only seen a few during his infrequent visits, and each new room was a treasure trove of forgotten relics.

After winding through the hallways, Krieger eventually led Finn to a door marked 'shuttle bay'.

"You have a docking area and a shuttle bay?" Finn asked as Krieger fiddled with the door controls.

"I have a docking bay for customers and a shuttle bay to protect my own ship and any recent finds." Krieger corrected.

The door slid open revealing a rather large bay. Ships in more or less good shape filled most of the bay, though a large area surrounding a ship much larger than the rest was relatively clear. The make was unusual; much as the station, the ship seemed to have been built with parts of many different vessels.

"The Ulasomorf." Krieger said, pride in his voice. "Took me ages to get her perfect, not to mention how much I ended up trading for parts. Turians can be a bit stingy, but there's no price on perfection, eh?"

"Wow." Finn said, impressed by his friend's work. "How long have you had this, anyway?"

"Well, it's only been functional for a few weeks, but I've already been able to use it to recover all this wonderful salvage!" He swept his arm, indicating the entire bay. "You wouldn't believe how much perfectly good tech is just floating out there, waiting for someone to come and grab it."

They walked through the bay between the numerous parked ships. Finn could tell there was a lot of history around him; some of the ships were practically relics, easily two-hundred years old or older. He even spotted another quarian fighter, this one even older than the Gradisian.

"Where does it all come from?" Finn asked curiously.

"Oh, here and there." Krieger waved his hand dismissively. "They just clump together thanks to the resonant magnetism of the drive cores."

Finn suspected there was more to it than that, but held his piece. It was only natural that Krieger wouldn't want to give away trade secrets.

"In any event, my most recent excursion to the nearest asteroid belt uncovered something of a more unique nature."

Krieger came to a halt and spread his arms. Finn looked at the vessel Krieger was indicating and promptly let out a low whistle. "Now that's a thing of beauty."

The vessel Krieger indicated was sleek and smooth. The sweeping structure of the wings flowed smoothly into the rounded frame with only a single slight fin that ran from the back of the vessel and down the ship's primary engine. The entire ship was painted a glossy black; even the windows weren't visible from the outside.

The most impressive thing of all was that the ship seemed perfect; unlike the other ships in Krieger's bay, this vessel had been perfectly preserved.

Finn's fingers twitched. He very much wanted to take the ship for a quick flight.

To his surprise, Krieger seemed to have the same idea. "Go ahead and climb in."

"What?"

Krieger pressed a small panel on the side of the plane. Moments later, the outline of a door appeared on the side of the ship and swung open to reveal the pilot's chair.

Finn hesitated for a moment before climbing into the seat and securing the safety straps.

"I've been trying to get it online." Krieger told him. "But these controls are hard to understand. I'm not even sure how to …"

There was a brief hum as the ship's engine came to life. Krieger quickly backed away as the ship rose a few feet from the ground.

Finn flashed him a grin as a multitude of holographic panels sprung to life around the cockpit of the vessel. "Want me to run a diagnostic?"

Krieger shook his head, chuckling. "Be my guest."

Finn tapped at the controls, his hands moving almost of their own volition. His omni-tool activated automatically, syncing to the ship as he ran a full system check.

After a few moments, the screens aligned to show a full schematic of the vessel.

"Everything looks good." Finn said, scanning the data. "Power distribution's stable, weapons are functional, and I'm not detecting any breaches in the outer hull. Engines are offline, but it looks like some kind of safety lockout."

"Can you override the lockout?" Krieger asked, wringing his hands.

After a few more minutes of fiddling with the various consoles, he nodded and said, "Done. Looks like the problem was in the FTL drives."

"Can you fix it?"

"I'd need to crack her open." Finn told him. "And even then, there's no guarantee. Turning it on is one thing, but I've never seen a ship like this."

Krieger asked, "But isn't this one of your people's ships?"

"What makes you think it's a human design?" Finn asked as he continued scanning the diagnostic results.

"Well, the consoles are displaying your language, aren't they?"

Finn's hands froze. Krieger was right; the controls were all in English. The cockpit was designed for a human … even the chair was configured to provide lumbar support for someone of his size.

"Huh." Finn said, sitting back. "Alliance, perhaps? No, there's no insignia. The Alliance wouldn't even let a prototype ship off the ground without slapping a dozen Alliance insignias on the hull."

"Bandits?" Krieger suggested, peering at the controls.

Finn shook his head. "Can't see bandits using something this sleek. Besides …"

The ship vanished. Krieger stumbled back, his voice a squeak as he stammered, "W-what in the-"

The ship reappeared a moment later in the exact same place.

"This ship is made for stealth, not combat." Finn tapped a finger to his lips contemplatively. "Some kind of spy organization maybe? Maybe the Shadow Broker?"

"The Shadow Broker?" Krieger repeated, sounding surprised.

Shrugging, Finn deactivated the controls and hopped out of the vessel. "Just a guess. Doesn't really matter now, I suppose. I can tell you that this is bleeding edge tech; I've seen a dozen ships that can hide emissions, but this is the first I've seen that can cloak its hull too. If you're looking to sell, you'll make a mint."

Krieger appeared very happy at this news. "That is excellent news! I don't suppose you could give me some quick instructions on how to operate it."

Finn merged his omni-tool with Krieger's long enough to give him a quick tutorial on how to fly the ship. Within half an hour, Krieger was flying the ship around the shuttlebay.

When Krieger finally set the ship down beside the Ulasomorf, he said, "Excellent. Thank you, my friend."

"Not a problem." Finn told him. "Just remember to get that FTL drive looked at before trying to fly it through a relay."

"Understood. Well, you did your part; let's see if we can't find you those parts you were looking for."

Thirty minutes later, Finn was walking down the dock towards his ship as automated robots loaded a brand new sensor array and two pristine Zuontech power converters into the Gradisian's storage bay.

Jake ran up to Finn, saying, "Whoa! You got everything?"

"And more. Krieger gave me a very good deal in exchange for helping him out."

"Must've been some favor. Darsan's gonna be happy."

As they climbed back into the Gradisian's cockpit, Jake said, "Did you see that Turian girl?"

"Yeah. Krieger said she was a rep from some organization. She didn't catch you trying to hack into her ship, did she?"

"She did, but I just put on the old dog act. She gave me a nasty look, but left without a word."

Finn chuckled. "All's well that ends well, huh?"

"I guess. I never did manage to hack into her ship, though; that thing has firewalls that would make a quarian flinch."

"Just as well." Finn said, watching as the automated robots headed back towards the station entrance. "Well, ready to go?"

Jake sat down in his seat, saying, "Yup! Let's get back home!"

As Finn flew the Gradisian through the debris field and set a course back to J-27, he couldn't help but grin. For once, things were going his way.


	3. Chapter 3 - Complications

Chapter 3

**Complications**

The trip home was made in relative silence.

"Hey, Finn." Jake asked, hopping up on the back of Finn's seat, "What's wrong?"

"Huh?"

"You've been quiet for about an hour now. I'd think you'd be excited, seeing as Krieger gave us everything we need for practically nothing. What's up?"

Finn shook his head. "I'm just thinking about that ship we saw outside Krieger's place. A shame you couldn't hack into it."

"Believe me, I tried. You thought my internal security programs were impressive? I've got nothing on that thing. Wouldn't surprise me if there was some sort of A.I. installed in there."

Finn shook his head, saying, "Maybe. Did you happen to record any video of the pilot?"

"The turian? Yeah. Hang on a sec."

One of the display screens switched to an image from Jake's perspective as he watched a hooded figure walking silently out of Krieger's place. Finn tapped the screen to pause the footage.

"Hmm." He squinted at the figure. "Something about her just rubs me wrong."

"Yeah." Jake shook his head, saying, "You really need a girlfriend, man."

Blushing, Finn deactivated the video. "I guess it doesn't really matter. We'll be back home soon enough."

After a few minutes passed, Jake commented, "You know, Darsan owes us a vacation; we should go back to Earth."

"We can't go back to Earth." Finn reminded his friend.

Jake pouted. "Why not?"

Sighing, Finn replied, "First off, you're an AI. Synthetics aren't exactly popular in Council space."

"So we'll go for the old dog VI routine."

"Second," Finn continued as though he hadn't heard Jake, "It'd take a load of credits to secure passage."

"We've got plenty of credits. I'm your accountant, remember? Come on, Finn; what's this really about?"

After a few moments of silence, Jake asked in a softer tone, "You can't still be thinking about-"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Jake backed down immediately. "All right, man. So not Earth; what about Ilium? Lots a pretty blue girls, lotsa nice shops to-"

The communications console began to beep. "One sec, Jake." Finn said as he reached forward and activated the array.

"…immediately! Come on, Finn, pick up already!"

"Krieger?" Finn said aloud, his brow furrowed. "Kreiger, I can hear you. What's the emergency?"

"Finn! Oh, thank the Makers! Finn, my station is under attack! I don't know how they got past my defenses, but they're through the debris field and attempting to break into the station!"

Finn traded a worried glance with Jake. "Don't worry, buddy; we can get back there in a few minutes and scare them off."

"No!"

Finn's hand froze, seconds away from finalizing the course change.

Krieger continued, "Get to Omega and look for a quarian named Kyra'Shor at the Rigger's Folly parts shop. She'll know what to do with the-"

A loud metal clang sounded on Krieger's side of the transmission.

"Get moving!" Krieger shouted as the transmission grew harder and harder to hear until it finally died altogether.

"Kreiger!" Finn said, now very worried. "Krieger, can you hear me?"

When no answer was forthcoming, Finn let out a sigh and activated the coordinates on his nav-console.

"Hey, what're ya doin'?" Jake asked as the ship turned back towards Krieger's station. "He said not to go back!"

"I heard him." Finn replied, readying the Gradisian's weapons. "I just don't have enough friends to let one of them die."

The Gradisian's sensors didn't pick up any other vessels as Finn returned to the debris field surrounding Krieger's station, but that didn't stop Finn from flying the quarian fighter through the debris at an even more reckless speed than usual.

"Whoa!" Jake exclaimed as an uncomfortably large piece of debris flew overhead, missing the cockpit by mere inches. "Slow down, man! We ain't helping anyone if we get trashed before we get there!"

"Just another minute." Finn said. He heeded his friend's warning, however, and slowed down a bit.

As they drew near the station, Finn felt his heart sink; the station was a wreck. Several of Krieger's additions had been blown completely free of the station, exposing parts of his collection to the vacuum of space. The docking area was in relatively good shape, but the Gradisian's sensors showed the kinetic field to be at less than half-power and fading fast.

"Jake, grab the portable field emitter." Finn asked as he docked the ship.

Jake gave him an odd look. "You're still going aboard? Forget Krieger, man; there's no way he could've survived this."

"I have to try." Finn said grimly. "Now are you gonna get me the emitter, or not?"

A hurt look on his face, Jake leaned over and allowed a panel on his back to slide open, revealing a metal band with a small monitor on it. Finn took the band and clamped it around his arm.

As he configured the field, he said, "Stay in the Gradisian; if something happens to me, get back to J-27 and let Darsan know what happened."

"Forget that, man! We're buds! I ain't letting you go in there alone."

"Jake …"

"I said forget it." Jake gave Finn an uncharacteristically stern look. "I ain't abandoning my little brother."

Finn stared at Jake for a long moment before a smile crossed his face. "Okay. Activate your field emitter and come on … but be careful."

"Careful, shmareful. I see a slaver, he's gonna get blasted."

As soon as the cockpit opened, Jake leapt out, an energy buster-cannon emerging from his back panel. Finn followed, pistol in hand. It was just an old Carnifex module, long since retired from active use; still, the feel of its weight in his hand was comforting. He checked to make sure the heat sink was properly seated before hurrying towards the entrance to the station.

No hacking was needed this time; the door slid open at his approach, albeit in a jerking erratic fashion. Finn stepped inside the station slowly, his eyes carefully scanning the wreckage for anything suspicious.

Jake let out a whistle as they entered the lobby. "Man, someone let a bomb off in here or something?"

It wasn't an exaggeration; every single case had been shattered. The contents were strewn about the room in a fashion that made it clear someone had been searching for something.

"What were they after?" Finn asked, staring around at the mess.

"I dunno, man. Seems silly they'd blow the place up and leave all this swag." Jake nudged the cover of a comic book. "This was a first edition; even damaged, it's worth a small fortune."

Finn picked up a baseball bat autographed by some ancient player long forgotten by all but the most devoted fans.

"Sorry, Babe." Finn said sadly. He started to put the bat down when he heard something creak in the next room.

He hurried forward, pistol in one hand and bat at the ready as he took up position beside the door to Krieger's office. He glanced back at Jake only to see his friend slipping more Blasto comics into one of his storage panels.

"Jake!" Finn hissed, not bothering to hide his annoyance.

"Hey, I'm a registered Blasto Scout! I can't let an artifact like this be lost!"

Rolling his eyes, Finn took a deep breath and rushed into the office. It was even more of a mess than the lobby; the filing cabinets Krieger had kept so meticulously maintained were torn apart and the files left on the floor. The aluminum bat was lying on the floor in a pool of blood, but there was no body.

Finn started to shift through the piles when he spotted a smear of bright red blood on Krieger's chair. He followed the trail to the floor, where a puddle had formed among bits of what could only have been part of Krieger's environmental suit. The trail of blood continued into the depths of the station, the pattern indicating the poor fellow was limping.

"Krieger!" Finn said, quickly activating his omni-tool as he continued to follow the trail of blood. "Krieger, if you can hear me, just sit tight!"

The blood grew thicker as Finn went deeper into the bowels of the station. He spotted several other collection rooms along the way, all as trashed as the lobby. Even the magnificent fish-tank Krieger had shown him when they first met had been shattered, the once-beautiful fish now dead on the floor. Bits of material from Krieger's suit lay near the trail here and there, far too small for Finn to tell what part of the suit they came from.

The blood led Finn to the shuttle bay. He ran through the doors and spotted Krieger almost immediately, mere feet from the entrance to the Ulasomorf.

"Krieger!" Finn called out as he ran towards his fallen friend.

Krieger had seen better days; the leg of his suit was completely gone, exposing the pale split skin on his leg and foot. There were a few bullet holes in his suit hastily patched with tape and solder. He had collapsed just a few feet from his ship, a surprisingly new pistol in one hand and a soldering gun in the other.

Finn hesitantly shook Krieger's shoulder. "Can you hear me?"

For a few moments, Finn was sure that the volus was dead. Just as he started to pull his hand away, Krieger grabbed Finn's hand and took a rasping breath.

"Finn!" He whispered as though he couldn't believe it. "What are … you doing here? I told you … not to come."

"I never was one for following orders." Finn said, forcing a grin. "Now hang on, buddy; we'll get you patched up in no time."

"No!" Krieger batted Finn's arm aside seconds before Finn could apply the Medi-gel. "Finn, they know about you. They know about J-27."

"I don't understand; what do they know about us?"

"They know …" Krieger suddenly began to convulse. "The … omni-tool …"

Pursing his lips, Finn applied medigel to his wounded friend, saying "This should keep you alive until we can get you to a medical facility."

"Omega …" Krieger whispered faintly as his consciousness faded away. "Get to …"

A shudder ran through the station. Finn steadied himself until it passed, one hand on Krieger to keep him from moving too much.

"Finn!" Jake's voice called through my intercom. "Where the heck are you?"

"I'm in the shuttle bay. What's going on?"

"You need to get back here, bro! The kinetic fields just went down! The debris from the field's gonna crush this place to dust!"

"Damn." Finn muttered. He glanced at the salvage ship, an idea forming in his mind.

"Finn?" Jake asked as another shudder ran through this place.

Finn hoisted Krieger off the ground and stumbled towards the salvage ship. "I'm gonna take Krieger's ship. Get to the Gradisian and meet me outside!"

"But Finn! I can't pilot the Gradisian nearly as good as-"

"There's no time!" Finn grunted as he carried Krieger up the entry ramp. "Krieger's half-dead, and I don't have time to reach the outer docks. Get in the ship and try to stay in one piece until I get out there, okay?"

"Okay. I sure hope you know what you're doing."

"Me too." Finn muttered.

After securing the injured volus in the Ulasamorf's med bay, Finn made his way to the salvage ship's bridge.

"Huh." Finn muttered as he strapped himself into the helm station. "Guess Krieger wasn't lying about trading with turians."

The ship came to life with a rumble that would've shaken him out of the chair had he not strapped himself in. He grabbed the flight sticks as the holographic consoles burst to life around him.

The Ulasamorf rose from the floor of the shuttle bay. The station shuddered multiple times as the first wave of debris closed in on the station.

"Ugh. This thing flies like an overloaded pallet." Finn muttered as he maneuvered the ship towards the bay doors. As he drew near, he tapped the door control.

Nothing happened.

"Oh, crap." Finn tapped the button again, to no avail. Sighing, he hit the comm. Control.

"Jake, I've got a problem; the shuttle bay doors aren't opening."

"Hang on; I'm on the way!"

Finn waited anxiously, trying to ignore the loud bangs and crashes echoing through the station. He scanned the bay for other exits, but he knew it was unlikely; this was the heart of Krieger's station. The only way another opening was likely was if the debris destroyed the station, and that would be of little help to Finn while he was in said station.

"Okay, I'm outside the … oh, there's the problem. Some of the debris smashed part of the opening mechanism."

"Can you fix it?" Finn asked anxiously. The corridor leading to the shuttle bay had just collapsed.

"Maybe. Give me a second."

After a few seconds, the right shuttle bay door was blasted free, exposing the Gradisian and the rest of the debris field. The metal bulk flew by the Ulasomorf close enough to rock the vessel.

Finn quickly regained control of the ship. His temper was a different matter. "What the heck, Jake?"

"Move over so I can get the other door!"

Swearing beneath his breath, Finn moved the salvage ship out of the way. With another blast of the Gradisian's weapons, the other door slammed open.

Finn piloted the Ulasomorf out of the shuttle bay. He was still a little annoyed at Jake, but he had to admit that it was the best course of action. Glancing back, Finn whispered, "Hold on just a bit longer, Krieger."

Flying the Ulasomorf was a different experience from the Gradisian. The bulky ship responded sluggishly to the controls, like some great lumbering beast that would much rather go back to sleep than go anywhere. More than one ship remnant smashed into the kinetic barriers because of the inherent delay.

Still, Finn wasn't about to let any craft crash while he was at the helm. The hull received a few dings from larger objects that the kinetic field simply couldn't deflect, but he made it through the debris field intact. He turned his sensors back at the station to find it was completely destroyed. What remnants were left were swept away with the remaining debris and ship fragments.

The Gradisian made it through in good shape as well; though Jake wasn't fond of flying, he was a decent pilot.

"Good job, Jake. I'll open the rear hatch so you can get outta there."

"Thanks!"

A few minutes later, Finn heard the unmistakable clomping of Jake's metal feet approaching the bridge.

"Hey, man." Jake said, hopping into the copilot seat. "I saw Krieger; looks pretty bad."

"I know. Don't worry; we'll hit J-27 for gas and be on our way to Ilium within the hour." Finn sighed. "I just hope he can make it that long."

"Who would target Krieger like that, man? I mean, I could see some other collector with all his rare stuff, but-"

"But they left plenty of valuables."

"They left all the valuables. I checked with the station sensors; everything in his collection was accounted for. Messed up and out of the case, but he had everything tagged; none of it was missing."

Finn was silent for a long time while he contemplated this turn of events. Eventually, he just shook his head. "We'll worry about that later."


	4. Chapter 4 - Unwelcome Guests

Chapter 4

**Unwanted Guests**

The trip back to J-27 seemed to pass rather quickly. Fortunately, Finn's limited first aid was able to keep Krieger stabilized long enough to get the injured volus into a cryo-stasis pod. It wasn't Finn's first choice, but it would at least give them plenty of time to get to Ilium once they refueled.

As they drew near the station, Finn activated the comm and said, "Mannon, this is Finn; I'm about to dock for refueling."

There was no reply. Frowning, Finn said, "Come on, Sherle, I know you're listening."

Jake peered at Finn around the seat. "That's bonkers. She's always watching the array like a hawk."

Finn shook his head and took the controls. "She's probably in the bathroom or something. Whatever the reason, we can't wait. I'm docking."

Once the docking tube was in place, Finn hopped out of his seat. Jake moved to follow, but Finn stopped him.

"We're not staying long." Finn told him. "I'm just gonna let Darsan know what's going on. Could you go to the med bay and check on Krieger?"

"Sure thing, man."

Finn hurried down the docking tube and into the station. The main room was vacant at the time, so after authorizing the fuel transfer, he slid down the ladder to his loft and grabbed what tools were convenient, just in case the Ulasomorf needed any touching up during the trip.

"Finn! Are you okay?" Jake asked, his voice sounding unnaturally loud in Finn's earpiece.

"I'm fine." Finn told Jake as he lifted his toolbag. "What's wrong?"

"A buncha ships are heading our way, and I don't think they're friendly."

"Hanar?" Finn asked, remembering Darsan's argument with Opylius.

"Dunno. Sensors can't tell what they are."

Finn couldn't help but wonder if the arriving 'guests' had something to do with what happened to Krieger.

"He told me they knew about J-27." He muttered.

"Huh?"

Shaking his head, he said, "It's not important. I'm on my way back now. Prep us for launch, okay?"

"You got it."

Hearing the sound of someone climbing down the ladder, Finn grabbed the last few tools and said, "I was wondering where you were. Look, Krieger's been pretty badly hurt; we're going to head to Ilium and …"

He turned around in time to see a human in combat armor drawing his rifle. Thinking fast, he threw himself behind a stack of hull plating he kept on hand for small repairs. The soldier opened fire, but fortunately the plating was thick and heavy enough to protect him as the strange man continued to fire.

"Who the hell are you?" Finn demanded, his eyes darting around for something he could use as a weapon.

His assailant started to walk towards Finn. Swearing, Finn dug in his tool pack for something heavy. As the man rounded the corner, Finn yanked out whatever his hand could grab and brought it down on the man's helmet.

The pipe wrench left a sizeable dent in the helmet. The man staggered back from the blow clutching his head, giving Finn plenty of time to yank the rifle from his grasp.

Aiming it at the guy's head, Finn demanded, "Now let's try this again; who the hell are you?"

The man pulled something off the side of his helmet. Immediately a hissing sound filled the room. Thinking it was poison or some kind of nerve agent, Finn quickly covered his mouth. He needn't have bothered; the soldier fell over moments later.

Finn stood completely still for a few moments as the shock of what had just happened passed over him. Ironically, it was a bigger shock that snapped him out of it.

"Darsan! Sherle!" Slinging his toolbag over his shoulder, he started up the ladder to the main deck.

After doing a quick visual sweep of the main room, he hurried over to Darsan's room and banged on the door.

"Darsan! Darsan, are you there?"

"Hopeful; Finn, is that you?"

Finn breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah, it's me. You can open the door."

"Cautioning; there is a soldier-"

"I know. He's dead."

"Alarmed; you killed him?"

Finn shook his head. "He killed himself. Some kind of self-administered poison gas."

The door slid open, revealing Darsan.

"Grateful; Thank you for dealing with him. I don't know what we would've done had you not arrived."

"We? Is Private Mannon in there?" Finn peeked around Darsan and saw Ensign Mannon lying on the floor in a heap.

As he hurried over, Darsan said, "Concerned; she fainted when the soldier first attacked."

Something hit the station hard. Finn steadied himself against the edge of Darsan's desk. For a moment, he was afraid the station had actually been hit. Given that the station didn't fly apart like the clump of junk that it was, he guessed the kinetic fields were still holding.

Darsan was somewhat less reassured. "Alarmed; what is happening?"

"Looks like that guard had friends." Finn said grimly. He picked up Ensign Mannon's limp form. "We need to get out of here, now."

He started to leave the room, but Darsan blocked his path.

"Incredulously; are you seriously suggesting we abandon this station? What do you know about those assaulting us?"

"Nothing. I mean, a little. Look, I'll tell you everything I know, but we gotta get outta here before-"

The station shook again. Finn stared Darsan in the eyes.

In as calm a voice as he could manage, Finn said, "If we don't leave, we're dead."

After a moment's hesitation, Darsan finally relented.

After making sure he had a good grip on Ensign Mannon, Finn hurried past Darsan towards the docking bay.

They were halfway down the tube when a shot managed to blow past the kinetic barriers and hit the station. The door to J-27 slammed shut in response.

Unfortunately, the door to the Ulasomorf slammed shut too. Finn banged on the door with his free hand, shouting, "Jake! Jake, get this door open!"

"I'm trying, man! Some kind of safety measure … don't worry, just give me a sec, bro!"

Finn realized that he could hear the sound of air being rapidly sucked out of the tube. He turned around and looked over the walls of the tube, saying, "There's a breach! It's not going to let us in until we-"

Another shot hit the station, blowing off the entire communications array. The tube shook, but thankfully the seals held. That still left their problem, though.

Finn set Ensign Mannon by the door to the Ulasomorf and hurried down the tube, looking for the leak. After a few panicked moments, he spotted the hole; a few cracks near the J-27 side of the tube. It wasn't a big leak at the moment, but there was enough of a suction for it to pull strands of his hair.

"I need something to seal it." Finn glanced around the tube, but nothing was available.

"Panicked; there must be something." Darsan said nervously.

Finn looked at him for a moment. His eyes narrowed.

"Jake," He said, moving towards Darsan, "Get ready to open the door as soon as the safety seals release."

"You got it!"

"Suspicious; what are you going to do, Finn?"

"I'm going to seal the breach. As soon as that door opens, you get Sherle inside, okay?"

Without waiting for a response, Finn yanked the wide-brimmed zebra hat from Darsan's head.

"Outraged; that is mine!" He said indignantly, but Finn was already halfway down the tube.

"Thank God he went for completely tacky." Finn muttered as he pressed the vinyl hat over the hole. The suction held it fast in moments, but the bowl was deflating fast.

The door to the Ulasomorf slid open. After giving his hat one last longing look, Darsan tromped into Krieger's ship with Mannon in tow. Finn ran towards the door with everything he had.

Unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough; the bowl of the hat completely collapsed, and was promptly sucked through the hole, making it even bigger in the process. The door to the Ulasomorf started to slide shut.

Finn made a leap for the entrance and jammed the soldier's rifle into the doorway before it could close all the way.

"Finn!" Jake shouted from the other side.

Finn squeezed his way through, trying to ignore the sounds of the vacuum behind him get louder and the cracking sounds coming from the rifle.

As another blast hit the station, several of the seals on the J-27 side of the docking tube tore loose. Fortunately, Finn was wedged in well enough to not get sucked out by the increased suction.

Jake and Darsan both grabbed Finn and yanked him through the hole just before the rifle's casing began to crack. In matter of moments, the now-bent rifle clattered to the floor as the door slid shut.

"Thanks guys." Finn breathed.

"Sulking; you owe me a hat."

Finn opened his mouth to respond when something shook the Ulasomorf.

Darsan barely moved; being a quadruped definitely had its advantages. "Alarmed; are we being fired upon?"

Finn was on his feet and moving in an instant. He raced through the ship with Jake hot on his heels until he reached the bridge.

"Better strap in, buddy." Finn said as he strapped himself into the pilot's chair. "We're going to make a run for it."

Once they were detached from the docking tube, Finn set course for the nearest relay. The Ulasomorf's engines roared to life; in a matter of moments, refueling station J-27 was just a blip on the sensor screen.

Unfortunately, there were four other blips closing in fast.

"Okay." Finn said grimly. "Let's see if you can keep up with this!"

He activated the FTL drive. The star-filled expanse beyond the front windows of the bridge leapt forward as the Ulasomorf accelerated beyond the speed of light.

Finn breathed a sigh of relief, but it turned out to premature; moments later, the four craft reappeared on the sensors, continuing to slowly close in on the Ulasomorf.

"That's nuts, man!" Jake said, "How can short-range fighters keep up with a freighter?"

Finn didn't respond. His eyes were as wide as they could open, but not from fear. He resisted the urge to blink as he stared out to the starry expanse whizzing past the ship.

As his eyes began to tear up, the streams of light began to separate into different colors, each seeming to angle away from the Ulasomorf's path as though deflected. The longer he stared, the more he could make out the invisible edges of the field around them like a bubble.

"All right." He whispered, his hands manipulating the controls as though they were merely an extension of himself. "Here we go."

The field around the ship began to waver as the ship itself slowly moved closer to the front of the field. As the field started to collapse, Finn routed as much power to the engines and the structural integrity field.

The universe lit up in an explosion of light and color. The ship shuddered as if shot forward like a dog stung by a bee. In a moment, the ships behind them were left in the proverbial dust.

"Whoa!" Jake said, staring at Finn. "Are you ... streaming?"

Finn couldn't reply. His hands flew over the control pad, adjusting shields, managing power-feeds, and keeping tight control of the engine.

As the shuddering began to grow more violent, Jake asked, "Uh, Finn? Finn, we need to stop."

"Just a few more seconds …" Finn whispered, tears streaming from his wide eyes.

"Uh oh." Jake leapt off of his chair and ran over to Finn. "Finn, snap out of it! We're clear!"

A small plug-like extension emerged from the side of Jake's side. A spark of electricity shot from the plug and hit Finn's leg.

"Oww!" Finn blinked and shook his head, muttering, "Jake? What are you …"

"Stop the ship!"

"Stop the …" Finn's face went pale as he hurriedly reversed the engines.

As the shuddering died down, Jake let out a relieved sigh. "Good work, bro. Those losers are probably still wondering where the heck we went."

Finn let out a half-hearted chuckle as he undid his safety harness. "Take over for me, would ya, Jake? I need to go check on the others."

"Sure thing. Where are we heading?"

Finn contemplated the question for a moment before shaking his head and saying, "I'll let you know when I figure that out."


	5. Chapter 5 - Slipstream

Chapter 5

**Slipstream**

"… and that's when I realized that you and Mannon might have been hurt." Finn finished with a sigh. "I'm really sorry about J-27, Darsan."

Darsan bowed his head. "Kindly, Don't apologize. It wasn't your fault. Besides, if you had not returned, we'd still have been in danger. You realize of course, I can't pay you anymore."

"Yeah, I figured as much." Finn said, hiding a smile. At the moment, his paycheck was the last thing on his mind.

"I don't get why someone would attack J-27." Ensign Mannon began, shifting slightly on the crate she was sitting on. There was a definite shakiness in her voice, but it was hard to blame her seeing as she had just woken up and been told her home for years was nothing but dust.

"Proud. We were the only refueling station this far out in the Silean Nebula. If someone wanted to mine the unclaimed planets of the Minax or Mondane systems, our station would be crucial."

Finn shook his head. "That soldier didn't look like a merc or a gangbanger. I didn't see any insignia on his uniform. None of the ships had transponder codes either; whatever they're a part of clearly doesn't want anyone to know who they are."

"Ominously; and they were after Krieger's mysterious ship."

Finn sighed again and leaned back against a heavy barrel. "A shame they got to it first. It might have had the answers to everything; what they were looking for at Krieger's place, why they attacked J-27 to cover it up. Something. Krieger might know, but …"

Everyone fell quiet. Ensign Mannon rubbed her elbows, her eyes on the floor of the cargo bay. Mannon shuffled slightly; his face unreadable (though to be fair, he was an elcor; he could've been livid and still had the same expression on his face). Even Finn wasn't sure what to say.

"We need to decide on a destination." Finn said after a few moments. "Someplace that can treat Krieger."

"And an Alliance outpost." Ensign Mannon added. "I need to report this. Maybe my superiors can make something of it."

"Confidentally; we should go to Ilium. I have contacts there that could help us. I also need to file my insurance claim."

"Insurance?" Ensign Mannon asked, as though she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "We were just attacked by a mysterious organization, and you're worried about the insurance money?"

"Reasonably; Life goes on. At some point, I'll need to rebuild my station."

"Ilium would be the logical choice." Finn said quietly before Sherle could respond. "Darsan can take care of his business, Mannon can get in contact with the Alliance, and Krieger can get the help he needs."

Ensign Mannon hopped to her feet, saying, "Then it's settled. I'll go check the communications systems and-

"We're going to Omega."

Darsan and Ensign Mannon stared at him. Even Darsan's face managed to convey disbelief.

Finn stood straight and popped his neck. "Think about it; the people chasing us obviously aren't the sort who give up easily. They know we're going to be looking for help, and Ilium is the largest commercial center this side of the galaxy."

"But if we get there first …" Sherle began.

Finn cut her off, saying, "This isn't Alliance space! They don't have to set foot on Ilium to hire an assassin! Everyone on Ilium can be bought!"

Realizing he was dangerously close to shouting, Finn forced himself to calm down. "It's just the way Ilium is, and I doubt even the insurance money would keep us safe. If these guys have more resources, they'll just outbid us."

"Reasonably; But Finn, Omega's just as dangerous, if not more so. Aria's thugs, gangs, criminals, and don't even get me started on those horrible vorcha."

Finn nodded, saying, "Pretty much. There are people who'd kill us for the clothes on our backs. The difference is that money isn't as good as having friends in high places. Even the lowliest street thug wouldn't dare hurt someone connected to one of Omega's big players."

"Friends in high places?" Sherle asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes." Finn admitted. "I'm sure a few of my old friends will still vouch for me."

Darsan didn't respond, though Finn could tell he was being appraised. "Curiously; you lived on Omega?"

"Before I came to J-27." Finn paused as unpleasant memories began to awaken in the back of his mind. "Believe me, I wish we had another option. When I left that rock, I swore I'd never go back. We just don't have another choice."

Jake came running down the hallway that led to the bridge. "Finn! We're at the relay! Where are we heading?"

With a final glance at Darsan and Ensign Mannon, Finn started towards the bridge.

"Wait! Finn!" Ensign Mannon hurried over to Finn as he turned to face her. "There's another option."

"I'd be glad to hear it." Finn said, though he was pretty sure he knew what she was going to suggest.

"We could go to Earth. The Alliance should be safe enough for us, and between Earth and the Citadel, we should be able to …"

"We're not going to Earth."

"But Finn, we …"

"I'm not going back there!" He snapped. Regret set in the moment the words passed his lips and he saw the hurt expression on her face.

Sighing, he said, "Please, just … don't. I have my reasons; you may think them stupid or petty, but they're there all the same."

"O-okay." She said, an odd look on her face. "But at least consider the option, won't you?"

Jake glanced at Cherle for a moment before asking, "So … what's the destination, man?"

"We're going to Omega." Finn shook his head, saying, "You're welcome to take the Gradisian and leave; there should be room for-"

"I'm staying." Ensign Mannon said firmly. "Our chances are better if we stick together. I can send a message to the Alliance from there well enough."

Finn glanced at Darsan. "Darsan?"

"Reluctantly; I will stay as well. I think it's a horrible idea, but as much as I hate to admit it, Finn is right about Ilium. Cheerfully; besides, I bought my old hat on Omega. You can get me a new one while we're there."

Finn stared at him for a moment before a laugh escaped his lips. "Fair enough. Well, if we're all in agreement, let's get the heck out of this system. You two might as well make yourselves comfortable."

"Actually, I'll head up to the bridge with you, if you don't mind." Ensign Mannon said, stepping forward. "I need to check out the comm systems."

Darsan turned away. "Sulkily; go ahead. Just leave me back here. Alone."

"Okay. Bye." Without another word, Finn headed for the bridge, Jake and Ensign Mannon following behind.

Jake had brought the vessel to a halt at an optimal distance from the relay. Finn didn't bother with the harness as he sat down and took control of the ship. At his guidance, they hit the relay and were soon blasting through the cosmos towards the Omega Nebula.

He turned to find Ensign Mannon watching him with a curious expression.

She blushed immediately and looked back at her console, saying, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were such a good pilot."

"That's nuthin', babe." Jake told her. "You shoulda seen him ride the stream earlier. Like he was born there!"

"Ride the stream?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. You never heard of Streaming?"

"I remember hearing that term as applied to theoretical space travel, but …"

"Nah, you're thinking of quantum slipstream. This is more like riding the wave. You know how light travels just a little faster just before the mass effect field collapses? If you manipulate the field so that the ship is nearly touching the edge, you can supercharge the effect with the ship's power and essentially ride the wave as long as you have enough power to keep it going. The boost in speed is incredible; those clowns won't reach us for hours, maybe even days."

"I never heard of this before." She said, glancing at Finn as though she thought they were kidding her.

"It's true. That's how we got away from the people chasing us."

Her eyes widened. "Is it dangerous?"

"Oh, extremely." Jake replied as though he were merely talking about weather. "We're talking inches from the edge of the field; it's not something you can see normally, and if you pass it, the ship ends up as a flaming ball of metal and death."

"Even if everything goes right, ships just aren't designed to handle that much speed for sustained periods. You have to balance power between the shields and structural integrity, along with the immense amount of energy needed to keep the stream going. Your attention breaks for even a moment, and …" Finn let his voice trail off.

Ensign Mannon took a deep trembling breath. "So that's why the ship was shaking."

Jake patted her knee, saying, "Hey, don't sweat it. Finn had everything under control. Right, Finn?"

"Yeah." Finn turned his attention back to the controls. "Everything's under control."

"See, what'd I tell you? Finn's an expert at riding the Stream! They used to call him Slipstream at the Academy."

"The Academy? You mean The Anderson Naval Academy on Earth?" Mannon asked, sounding surprised. "You never told me you were in the Alliance, Finn!"

"You kidding? He was the best in his unit! Could pilot anything like an expert in under and hour! He'd probably be piloting a Normandy-class frigate right now if it weren't for …"

"Jake." Finn said, his voice dangerously quiet.

"Oh!" His LEDs went red, his equivalent of blushing. "Sorry, man."

Finn was sure that Mannon was going to ask, but thankfully she held her peace.

After an almost unbearable length of silence, Jake hopped off of his chair and nudged Finn's leg. "Hey, man; you should go get some sleep."

"I'm not tired." Finn replied automatically, but the very thought of going to bed made him yawn.

"A sleepy pilot's bad news, man. Go on; Ensign Mannon and I have it covered."

"Go ahead." Mannon said, giving him a kind smile.

Finn let out a sigh as he stood. "Maybe you're right. Wake me up if there's any trouble, okay?"

"I will, now shoo!" Jake nudged Finn towards the door. Smiling, Finn walked out of the bridge.

With all the chaos, Finn hadn't really had time to check out the inside of Krieger's creation. Much like the outside, the inside of the Ulasomorf was a combination of various styles. The cargo room (and subsequently, the docking port) was distinctly Alliance, with cranes set up for moving large pieces of salvage and a smooth metallic look to everything. The deck above was typically volus, and housed a smaller collection.

"At least he didn't lose everything." Finn said, setting the Babe Ruth baseball bat he had brought from Krieger's station into an empty display case.

Deck Three housed the medical bay, the kitchen and pantry, and a small rec room. Finn found Darsan in the medical bay, looking at Krieger's cryo chamber.

"Surprised; Finn! I didn't expect to see you up here."

"Jake's watching the ship so I can get some sleep. You okay, Darsan?"

After a few moments, Darsan bobbed his head. "Uncertain. I'm well enough, considering the situation. Certianly better than our friend Krieger."

"Yeah." Finn stared at the cryo tube for a few moments before saying, "The really sad part is that I got the damn sensor parts."

"Indeed?"

"Yeah. Nearly in perfect condition, and a much newer model than what we had. He made me a great deal after I unlocked the weird ship's controls and showed him how to pilot it." A suspicion bloomed in Finn's chest. "I hope that didn't have anything to do with the attack."

"Sagely; I'd recommend not thinking about it. Even if you did cause this somehow, you know Krieger would've got it working on his own. As for the sensor array, we'll just add that to parts we won't need to buy for the new station."

Finn grinned at his former employer. "Already making new plans, eh?"

"Confidentally; indeed. My insurance coverage should bring a nice payoff, enough to build a bigger station with better parts. We'll get a real cook, and maybe an assistant or two to help you keep the place running too. Maybe we could even get one of those enertrons for people who need a rest to rent. Think of it; they'll pay us for the rest, then wake up hungry and buy food from our new synthesizers. We'll make a mint."

Chuckling, Finn said, "That sounds pretty good. If we can get through this."

"Optimistically; you've managed to get us this far."

"Not exactly the confidence boosting answer I was looking for, but good enough I suppose."

Finn left Darsan there and headed up to the fourth deck. As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, the lights flickered on and a large portion of the ceiling retracted, revealing massive windows. Finn let out a whistle as he stared at the lovely asari design of the central chamber. There were the typical sleep pods, but there were also several small bedrooms arranged in a ring around the elevator.

The rooms themselves were quite small, containing barely more than a bed, a cabinet recessed into the outer wall, and a small bookshelf for personal belongings. There was one larger room with one of Krieger's display cases, obviously meant for Krieger himself, but Finn decided to take one of the normal rooms instead.

After closing the door behind him, he let himself fall onto the bed. In a matter of moments, the real world faded away, leaving him alone with his dreams.


	6. Chapter 6 - The Omega Blues

**Chapter 6**

**The Omega Blues**

Finn awoke to the sound of metal tapping on metal. "Finn! Are you awake?"

For a moment, he thought he was back on J-27. As he peered around blearily, his hand found the handle of his tool bag and attached it to his belt. "Busy! Long range sensors aren't gonna fix themselves!"

The door slid open, revealing Ensign Mannon.

"What about the long range sensors?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Finn rubbed his eyes as memories of the previous day rushed through his mind.

"Sorry." He mumbled, still feeling a bit sleepy. "I thought … nevermind. What's up?"

She stepped aside so he could leave the room, saying, "You've been asleep for twelve hours. Jake asked me to check on you. Sorry if I woke you up."

"Nah, it's okay. I shouldn't be sleeping that long anyway." He took a moment to stretch and pop his back and neck. Letting out a sigh of relief, he said, "I'm gonna check and see if there's anything edible in the kitchen."

"Don't bother." She held up a familiar silver-wrapped bar. "It's pretty much just a few boxes of these."

Finn stared at the bar dully, saying, "Oh boy. Omni-bars."

She shrugged, an apologetic look on her face.

Sighing, he took the bar and ripped it open. After a moment's hesitation, he took a bite and immediately blanched. "You'd think they'd at least add some flavor to the damn things."

"I'd imagine it's hard to find something both leva and dextro physiology can digest. Still, it's better than a heaping bowl of nothing."

Finn eyed her as he took another bite. "You're awfully chipper today."

"Like you said, there's not much we can do about our situation at the moment. To be honest, I'm kinda glad to get off that dusty old station." She blushed and quickly added, "Not that I'm saying I'm glad it was destroyed. I'm not. I really feel bad for Darsan. I was just trying to say …"

"It's okay." Finn said, holding up a hand to stay her further attempts to explain herself. "I get what you mean. I at least got to go to Krieger's place occasionally; you've just been stuck on the station for years."

He finished off his bar and forced himself to swallow it. "Blech. You know, I've always been curious; why did you want that post anyway?"

She immediately turned red. "It's a long story, really … very boring. Unimportant, really."

Finn shrugged. If she didn't want to talk about her past, he certainly wasn't going to pester her about it. He tossed the wrapper of the omni-bar into a small waste receptacle beside the elevator while they waited for the elevator.

She stood beside him, fidgeting with her hands. "So, you used to be with the Alliance."

"Used to be is the operative word." Finn replied, glancing up at the lift indicator.

"My parents wanted me to go to Anderson. My mom was a frigate pilot. Dad was one of the pilots of the Dreadnaught Shepard."

"Impressive." Finn replied, meaning it. It was one thing to pilot a ship by yourself; quite another to coordinate with a team and still keep a massive ship going in a straight line.

"I thought about it, but I just get to nervous. I mean, when you think of how many things can go wrong with just a slip of a button-"

Finn interrupted, "It's best to just focus on flying; if I spent my life worrying about getting things wrong, I'd be jumping at my own shadow these days."

"Well, yeah, I know, but-"

The elevator doors slid open. Finn had to resist the urge to say, "Finally" as he stepped inside. He reached for the control panel when he realized that Ensign Mannon was still outside the elevator.

"Heading back to the bridge?" He asked her.

She shook her head, saying, "I'm going to take a quick nap before we get to Omega. I need to make sure my head's clear when I contact the Alliance."

Nodding, he replied, "Well, goodnight Ensign Mannon. Oh, by the way, you might want to rethink the uniform; the Alliance isn't exactly the most popular organization around here."

She looked like she was going to say something else, but the doors to the lift slid shut and effectively cut her off.

Jake was sitting in the pilot's chair, his front paws on the helm console. He turned his head as Finn approached and immediately started wagging his tail end.

"Oh, Finn! Good morning, man. Sleep well?"

"Well enough." Finn conceded. "How are we doing?"

"We came through the relay just fine; not a sign of any mysterious ships. We should be at Omega within the hour. It'll be nice to see the place again."

Finn looked at Jake with a small measure of astonishment. "I bet that's the first time someone's ever used the word 'nice' when they're talking about Omega."

"You kidding? That place is packed full of fun stuff to do! Plus, no one ever gives me guff about being an AI. Say what you want, but everyone's welcome on Omega!"

"Especially if they have deep pockets and low morals." Finn replied.

"Keeps things exciting, don't it?" Jake hopped out of the chair so Finn could sit at the helm. "Besides, we had some friends there. It'll be good to say hello to 'em again."

"Yeah, I guess so." Finn shook his head. "We'll see when we get there."

The hour passed by rather quickly. All too soon, Omega was visible through the window.

"Here we go." Finn muttered, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart. He activated the ship's intercom, saying, "We'll be docking at Omega in a few minutes."

Glancing at Jake, Finn asked, "I need to make sure they have medical personnel waiting. Could you open a channel?"

"Sure thing, bro." Jake hopped out of his chair and walked over to the comm console. After putting his feet on the console, he quickly interfaced with the system. "Go ahead, man."

Finn cleared his throat and said, "Omega command, this is the Ulasomorf, we have a wounded crewman who needs emergency medical aid."

There was a crackle from the other end of the line as the operator connected. The gravelly voice indicated the operator was either a batarian or a human with a smoking problem. "This is Omega control; what species, and what kind of illness?"

"He's volus, and it's not an illness; part of his suit ruptured, and he's taken a few shots."

There was a pause as the operator no doubt ran a scan on the Ulasomorf. "Ship's identity is confirmed. Okay, Ulasomorf; you've got clearance to land at bay twelve. Keep your weapons powered down, or we'll blast you into dust."

"Got it." Finn nodded at Jake, letting him know he was finished. As soon as Jake disconnected, Finn muttered, "Nice to know they still employ the standard 'hello' message."

The dock was crowded, but Finn managed to squeeze the Ulasomorf between a volus trading vessel and a fighter bearing the emblem of the Blue Suns. As soon as they were connected, an automated voice said, "Docking procedure complete. Enjoy your stay at Omega."

Finn couldn't help but chuckle. "That's new. Guess they're trying to soften their image."

"Can't rob people who aren't there." Jake replied cheerily.

They met Darsan and Ensign Mannon at the airlock. Mannon looked like she could use more of a nap. She had taken off the top of her uniform and wore it around her waist with the arms tied together, leaving nothing on her upper torso other than the the armless black tanktop she wore underneath her uniform.

"Okay." Finn told them as he made sure the seals on the docking tube were secure, "I'm going to deal with Krieger and the doctors. Mannon's going to contact the Alliance and see if we can't get some help or info from them. Darsan you'll-"

"Decisively; I'll make a quick call to my insurance agent then meet you in Jiub's Haberdashery on level twelve."

Nodding, Finn said, "Okay. Remember to be on your guard; there's a chance that whoever's chasing us anticipated we'd go here and might be on the lookout for us. If anyone asks who you're with, just say … we're construction workers getting supplies to build a new station."

"From Dekuuna." Darsan added. "Knowledgeably; I've got membership in the Dekuuna Trade Comission That might help keep any never-do-wells from trying anything."

"Dekuuna is a heavy gravity world." Mannon replied. "I think they might realize that Finn and I aren't heavy grav-worlders."

"Don't worry about that." Darsan replied.

Finn frowned. Darsan only forgot to mention his tone when he was hiding something.

Shaking his head, Finn said, "Let's make a point to meet up at …"

He activated his omni-tool to check the time. "Twelve-hundred hours. Meet up at the entrance to Afterlife; it's big and flashy and not easy to miss. You don't have to go in; just … wait outside."

"We get it, Finn." Mannon said, eyeing him strangely.

Nodding, Finn opened the airlock and led the group into the Omega docking area.

They were met at the door by a team of medics and several armed guards, mostly turians and batarians.

One of the turians stepped forward, holding up a hand. "Stand still for a moment."

A scanning field passed over them, a thin red horizontal line showing where it had progressed. As it reached their waists, the line suddenly coalesced to a point at Finn's side.

The soldiers tensed up immediately. The Turian hefted his rifle meaningfully, saying, "Hand over the weapon."

Finn slowly pulled the old pistol out of his tool bag and handed it grip-first to the turian , knowing full well it was better to lose the weapon than get shot.

Ensign Mannon stared at Finn. "You brought a weapon?"

"Approvingly; it's Omega. It would be foolish not to bring a weapon."

The turian ran his omni-tool over the weapon, commenting, "Huh. Haven't seen one of these in ages. You've kept it up pretty well. Your name?"

"Michael Adams." Finn lied.

Nodding, the turian handed it back to Finn, saying, "It's tagged. There you go, Mister Adams."

"Tagged?" Finn asked.

"By our sensors. Your friend is right; Omega's not the kind of place you want to go to without a weapon. Tagging the weapon on our internal sensors lets us know when and where you shoot it."

"So you can find out whether it was used in a crime or for protection?" Mannon asked curiously.

"That's one reason, certainly." The turian waved at his squad, who nodded and walked away. "Now, I believe you have an injured crewmate?"

"Yes." Finn said, stepping aside so the medics could pass. "He's in a cryo-pod on deck three. I'll show you the way."

The medical crew was quite efficient. To Finn's surprise, they took the entire cryo pod, detaching it quite easily from the med-bay and putting it on an anti-gravity trolley. As they left the ship again, Finn noticed Darsan and Ensign Mannon were waiting near the entrance.

"Do you need me to go with Krieger?" Finn asked the lead medic.

The salarian shook his head, saying, "We'll let you know if you need anything. We're taking him to the Solus Clinic, if you want to check on him later."

"Solus Clinic." Finn repeated. He had heard the name before; something to do with krogan history. Part of him wanted to ask how a krogan had inspired a clinic, but the medics had already gone on without him. Shaking his head, he watched as the medics carried his friend away.

Once they were gone, Finn approached Darsan and Mannon. "You two didn't have to wait for me."

"We were thinking …" Mannon began, sounding a little nervous, "Maybe we should stick together."

"Won't that make this all take longer?" Finn asked, raising an eyebrow.

Darsan shuffled uncomfortably. "Pointedly; you have a gun."

"What about the DTC?"

"Honestly; they aren't here. You are, and you're armed."

Finn couldn't help but sigh. "Come on, then."

As they stepped out of the docking bay, Finn felt a wave of memories pass over him. The nervous look in everyone's eyes, the harsh glow of street lights and store signs against the dark backdrop of the streets, and the harsh scent of industrial cleaners barely detectable over the smell of the sweat and fear of a dozen races made a reluctant feeling nostalgia pass over Finn.

Finn turned to his companions. Jake was excitedly looking around, while Darsan was eyeing anyone who walked too close. Ensign Mannon stared wide-eyed at the imposing view of Afterlife, visible over the railing a few floors down.

Finn nudged Mannon, saying, "Don't gawk. You'll look like a tourist, and tourists are always easy marks."

Blushing, she said, "S-sorry. I'm just … sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Come on; the nearest Transtat is this way."

Most communication on Omega ran through omni-tools and extranet terminals. Unfortunately, most omni-tools are only configured to send messages over short distances, and the extranet terminals are notoriously unsecure. As most people running business on Omega were very interested in security, each district of the station was now equipped with at least one long range Tran Station (commonly referred to as a 'Transtat') that provided secure long-range communication services. There was a cost, based on distance of communication, whether said communication used conventional communication channels or quantum entanglement, and how much Aria wanted to charge for the privilege of secure communication.

The station itself was all automated, with one guard watching to make sure no one tried anything funny. The opaque glass booths were soundproof, allowing users complete privacy while still allowing the guard to see anything the users did.

There was a bit of a line as Finn and company reached the Transtat station. As they took their places at the end, Finn spotted a nearby storefront that caught his eye.

"Rigger's Folley." He whispered.

Darsan glanced at him. "Curiously; what did you say?"

Finn shook his head, saying, "Something Krieger told me. Look, Jake and I are gonna go check something out real quick. You two should be fine here."

"But-" Mannon began.

Finn pulled out his pistol and handed it to her, grip first. "You know how to shoot, right?"

Her cheeks flushed as she took the pistol. "O-of course. The Alliance trained us-"

"Good." Finn motioned for Jake to follow and hurried towards the shop.

Jake had to run to catch up. "Whoa, Finn! Where are you going?"

"Remember what Krieger said when he messaged us?"

"Something about a quarian, right?" His lights brightened with realization. "Oh, right! The Trigger's Folly!"

"Damn straight. Maybe we'll finally get some answers."


	7. Chapter 7 - Rigger's Folly

Chapter 7

**Rigger's Folly**

Finn pushed open the door and entered the Rigger's Folly, Jake following at his heels. The office was a dingy affair, but was larger than Finn expected. Aside from a few battered chairs lined up against the wall for customers, there was little else in the room other than the desk. A few parts were on display on shelves around the room, mostly ancient starship parts.

There was a woman behind the counter. From her bright eyes, long black hair, and wavy lines running from the inside edges of her eyebrows to her forehead, Finn could tell she was a quarian. If that wasn't enough, the traditional silk wrappings visible around the shoulders and bodice of the sleeveless shirt she was wearing cinched it. He wondered idly if the pattern of the facial lines were as random as the facial markings of the asari.

She was busy reading an actual paper book, her glowing eyes running across the pages without slowing. He couldn't help but grin when he noticed she was reading "The Crusade of Sir Tirager Vespere, Knight of Justice". She had kept much better care of her copy, too.

Finn waited patiently for her to realize he was there, but after watching her turn a few pages, he realized she was completely absorbed in reading.

"Pardon me, Miss-"

"Gaah!"

She jumped, the book flying out of her hands and bopping Finn in the face. Her hands flew up to her mouth.

"Oh! Sorry, mister. I was …"

"Reading, I know." Finn handed her the book, saying, "I'm on chapter twelve myself."

Her face brightened. "You're a Veegir fan too, huh? Not many people bother with him these days because of the whole paperback thing."

"They're missing out. The man's a genius. Last Call on Albrire was a masterpiece."

"I know!" She beamed at him. "I still get goose bumps when I imagine Mirea rushing that Fell-thresher while the world crumbled around her, convincing the Schrade to shatter itself so she could activate the worldstone, then breaking her indoctrination by destroying the ancestral guardian?" She let out a sigh. "And that epilogue … when I first read that scene where Jianus was grieving at the ruins, only for Mirea to appear in the wreckage like nothing had happened, I was in tears!"

"Tell me about it. I was worried for awhile when he wrote in the ancestral guardian; it seemed out of place, what with it being a machine in a universe of magic."

"Yeah, I was a bit worried myself. Thought he might do the ol' 'selfless sacrifice' cliché. I heard he considered it, but decided it was just silly to ruin such an action-packed climax with such a cheap and overdone ending." Shaking her head, she said, "Er, anyway, how can I help you today?"

"Huh?" Finn shook his head, saying, "Right, right. Well, a friend of mine told me to ask for you."

Her smile dropped instantly. "Ah. I see."

Fearing something was wrong, Finn asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Look, you seem nice … you really do." She said, a light blush on her cheeks. "But I'm really not interested right now."

Finn raised an eyebrow. "You weren't expecting me?"

"I was, I just …" She let out a sigh and slunk down in her seat. "He's worried about me, I get it, but the more I think about it, the more I don't think I want to get involved right now."

"You don't?" Finn asked, surprised.

"No, I don't." She blushed again, adding, "It's not you, really. I just don't want to have to deal with all the relationship nonsense anymore."

"Relationship?" Finn asked, startled. "We are talking about-".

"Let me handle this, Finn." Jake said, nudging Finn aside so the quarian could see him better. "Finn would make an excellent mate. He can cook, he's a bang-up mechanic, and he's got stamina, if you know what I mean."

Narrowing his eyes, Finn grabbed Jake by the back of his display and dragged him away from the counter, saying, "Thank you, Jake."

He turned back to the quarian, saying, "Like I was trying to say before my friend interrupted-"

"Say," she asked, her luminescent eyes on Jake, "That's a KEI-9, isn't it? The VI must be impressive if it can speak with inflected emotions."

"Well …" Finn began, but Jake cut him off.

"VI? VI?! My intelligence ain't virtual, missy."

Finn sighed. "Calm down, Jake. She didn't mean any …"

"An AI? Really?" She looked intruiged. "Can I look at your programming? My people have been trying to restore the geth since the Reaper War, but with the Council's bans on creating new AIs, we haven't had much luck."

"If Jake's …" Finn began, stopping automatically when he realized that he wasn't part of the conversation anymore.

"Tell you what; you go on a date with Finn, and I'll think about it." Jake said, his tail end wagging.

"Really? You'd let the geth lie dormant just to get your master a date?"

"Lady, I've never even seen a geth before. Why would I care?"

"But they were sentient synthetics too! Doesn't that make them like family?"

"Finn's my family. Poor kid would still be stuck on Earth if I hadn't found him. He's like my own brother!"

"But surely you'd like to meet more of your own kind."

"Are you kidding? My model's been out of commission for centuries."

"You know what I mean."

"I know my buddy Finn needs a special someone. C'mon, miss! It'll be great!"

She rolled her eyes, smiling nonetheless as she turned back to Finn. "Well … maybe. Do you like karaoke?"

By this point, Finn was sitting in one of the reception chairs. When she spoke to him, he pretended to look confused. "Huh? Oh, am I back in the conversation now?"

"Am I …" She blushed, again covering her mouth with the tip of her three-fingered hands. "Keelah, I'm sorry; you were trying to tell me something, and I completely ignored you. I'm Kyra, by the way."

"Nice to meet you." Finn gestured to Jake, saying, "You've probably figured out I'm Finn by now, and this is Jake. Sorry if he embarrassed you."

"Oh, not at all!" She said kindly. "It's kinda sweet the way he looks out for you. Anyway, back to … uh …what were we talking about again?"

Finn stood up and took a deep breath before saying, "Krieger sent me here."

Her smile widened. "Uncle Krieger? Oh, so you weren't even … I'm sorry, Finn. My friends have been trying to hook me up with someone since my last boyfriend was killed by the Blue Suns."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Finn said respectfully. "How long ago did he pass?"

"Oh, about two years. To be honest, we were really just friends anyway. I miss him, though; he'd love playing with your little friend here." Shaking her head, she asked, "So, how is Uncle doing, anyway? I haven't seen him since I was heading back to Rannoch from my pilgrimage. Is he here on the station?"

Finn's face fell. "You don't know, do you?"

"Know what?" a look of worry crept across her face. "Is something wrong?"

"He was injured recently during an att-"

"Explosion." Jake interjected, the dog-like face on his screen glaring at Finn. "He was injured in an explosion. Big explosion, pretty much took the station with it."

"Right." Finn added. "I managed to get him out before his station was destroyed. He's at the Solus Clinic right now."

She wrung her hands anxiously, asking, "How bad was he hurt? Was he still breathing when you put him in stasis? His suit wasn't breached, was it? I just can't believe he was … you said the Solus clinic, right?"

Finn nodded and said, "I was going to go check on him after I spoke with you."

"I'm going too." She hopped off her stool and grabbed a few things from behind the counter.

She was halfway to the door before she stopped and asked, "Er, that's all right, right? You don't mind if I go with you?"

Finn couldn't help but smile in spite the situation. "I don't mind. Krieger was my friend too."

The Solus Clinic was a busy place. Jake growled at the mechs as they walked through the entryway.

"Keelah." Kyra whispered, staring around the waiting room at all the sick and injured. "All this just from today?"

The salarian behind the counter replied, "All within the hour. Some have already been here twice today. Can I help you?"

"Yes, we're here to check up on a friend of ours, a volus by the name of Krieger." Finn said, trying to sound calm.

"Ah, yes, the volus. We don't get many of them on the station, not in the long term anyway." He tapped at his console for a few moments before saying, "He's in room 16-B."

"Thank you." Finn said automatically, activating his omni-tool.

The salarian raised his hand. "No need for payment; this is a free clinic."

"Consider it a donation then." Finn told him, authorizing the transfer of credits.

The salarian nodded gratefully. "It is appreciated. Have a pleasant day."

As they headed deeper into the clinic, Kyra commented, "That was kind of you."

"This isn't my first time here." He told her. "Last time, I had been shot through my right shoulder and I was nursing a sprained ankle."

"Keelah." She replied. "What happened?"

"I made a wrong turn in the Gozu District, right into a group of Blue Suns. Ended up with three bullets in my chest and a sprained ankle." He paused for a moment, reflecting on the incident. "Ankle hurt worse, actually. Anyway, they fixed me up without so much as a single question. I was broke at the time, but I always meant to come back and give a little back."

They reached 16-B, only to find two heavily armed krogan standing outside the door.

"Move along." Said the one on the right, his partner hefting his assault rifle meaningfully.

"Actually, we're here to see Krieger." Finn said, Kyra nodding in agreement behind him.

The next think Finn knew, he was about a foot off the ground and pressing painfully into the wall opposite 16-B, the krogan's tree trunk of an arm dominating the bottom half of his vision.

"Here to finish him off?" the krogan snarled in his face.

Finn couldn't reply; the krogan's grip was effectively cutting off his air supply.

"Let him go!" Kyra shouted. "He didn't hurt Uncle Krieger! This is the guy who rescued him!"

Jake grabbed the leg of the krogan who was holding Finn and was trying to drag him away to no avail as

"Then ask him to explain the bullet wounds!" The guard snapped, pulling Kyra back.

Finn was starting to black out. In desperation, he started rummaging in his tool kit and quickly found a screwdriver. He stabbed wildly at the krogan's arm to little effect until by chance, he managed to hit the narrow space between the elbow plate and the forearm armor.

The krogan dropped Finn with a roar. He yanked the screwdriver out and turned his attention back to Finn, his eyes red.

"That was a mistake, human!"

Finn, having collapsed on the floor gasping for breath, was in no condition to respond or even react as the krogan lifted his rifle.

"Stop that at once!"

A volus, this one in a brown and red environment suit, stood near an intersecting hallway. There were two doctors with him, a human male and an asari.

"This … human tried to get in to see Krieger." The krogan on the right said. "You said …"

"I said to guard the door and not let anyone in. I said to watch anyone who came by and give me a full description later. I did not say to start shooting people!"

To Finn's surprise, the krogan backed down. The krogan on the left flashed Finn a dirty look before dropping the screwdriver on the ground and resuming his post. Jake quickly reclaimed it and brought it to Finn.

"Thanks." Finn said, slipping the tool back into his bag. Nodding at the volus, he added, "And thank you, too."

"I appreciate the courtesy, considering the situation." The volus looked at the krogan. It was impossible to tell with the suit, but from the way both krogan shuffled their feet uncomfortably, Finn had the impression that the volus was glaring at them.

Nodding at the door, Finn asked, "Is Krieger okay?"

"Your name, please?"

"Finnegan Cresste."

"Ah, you're the one who rescued him. You have my thanks."

"It's no problem." Finn told him. "Krieger's been my friend for years."

The volus sighed. "He always did have a way of making friends. I take it you and your friend are here to check up on him?"

"Yes, please." Kyra said, her eyes darting to the door. "Is he okay?"

"The good doctors here managed to stabilize him well enough for us to bring him back to Irune for proper treatment. Not that the doctors here haven't done a good job." He nodded at the two doctors flanking him. "But given the extent of injuries, it's really better if he is treated by his own kind."

"So he's going to be okay?" Kyra asked, wringing her hands.

"It'll take time for him to fully recover, and he'll walk with a limp for months, but yes; he'll be okay."

Finn and Kyra let out a collective sigh of relief.

Looking at Finn, the volus said, "I did speak with him briefly. While he refused to give me any details, he did wish to express his gratitude to you, Finn, for saving his life."

He pulled a small datapad from his belt and handed it to Finn, who read it for a few moments before realizing just what it was.

"He's giving me the Ulasomorf?" Finn asked, disbelievingly.

"That's correct. I've already taken the liberty of transferring ownership to you, as well as a small reward from the Mimosa family."

Now Finn's eyes really went wide. "The Mimosa Family? As in the leaders of the volus Merchant's Guild?"

"Indeed. We look after the family, and appreciate what you've done in saving one of our own."

Finn could only stare at the datapad for a few moments.

Coughing the volus asked, "As I mentioned, Krieger didn't tell me much of what happened. I don't suppose you could fill me in on the details?"

"We're still trying to find out ourselves." Finn admitted. "I stopped by yesterday morning to pick up some parts for outpost J-27, and on the way back He contacted me and told me he was under attack."

"Do you know who attacked him?"

Finn thought back to the black ship and Krieger's strange turian visitor. Something warned him that divulging this information would do no good; even worse, it might put Krieger in even more danger.

"Not a clue. We had some trouble with Eclipse, but I can't say I saw anything implicating them."

The volus seemed to accept this answer. "We'll have a team sweep over what's left and see if we can't find some evidence while we salvage Krieger's belongings. In any event, the Mimosa family thanks you again for saving one of our own. Good luck in your future endeavors, Mister Finn."

"Thanks." Finn replied, shaking the volus's hand.

They walked away quickly, as the krogan were still eyeing them with a fair amount of suspicion.

Finn wasn't sure what to think; on one hand, he now owned the Ulasomorf. It wasn't his first ship; the Gradisian was technically his as well, but it was just a fighter. The Ulasomorf was practically a frigate with a large cargo bay.

On the other hand, he was no closer to figuring out why someone had blown up J-27. There was still the matter of Kyra, but he was getting the impression that she wasn't going to know anything about it.

Jake said cheerily, "Well, how about that? Krieger's gonna be fine, and we've got a shiny ship like no other in the galaxy. Things are looking up."

"Yeah. We're walking on sunshine, all right." Sighing, Finn said, "I can get you a cab, Kyra, if you-"

She grabbed his hand with a surprisingly strong grip and pulled him into an empty alleyway. Finn stumbled behind her until she stopped, let go of his hand, and faced him. She did not look happy.

"You didn't mention he had been shot, you bosh'tet!" She said angrily.

"I didn't want to worry you." Finn replied, taken off-guard by her sudden aggression.

"Worry me? A dear friend of mine was shot and nearly killed! How could I not be worried?" She drew a gun out of nowhere, demanding, "Tell me what happened now, and don't even try to lie to me like you did to that volus."

Out of the corner of his eye, Finn noticed Jake slowly raising his energy blaster. Finn twitched his right hand, signaling to Jake that he didn't want him to attack.

Turning his eyes back to Kyra, he asked, "How much do you want to know?"

"Everything." She replied, "If it's even just remotely important, I want to hear it."

"Fair enough."


	8. Chapter 8 - Old Friends

Chapter 8

**Old Friends**

The Lucky 57 bar wasn't nearly as big as Afterlife, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The design was completely different to that of Afterlife; there, there were no flashing neon lights, no loud dance music, no throngs of people waiting outside or milling about inside. It was the kind of bar frequented by the thoughtful drunk trying to figure out the universe one glass at a time. There was an ancient jukebox in the corner that still functioned, but it was the open microphone on the small stage that drew the more sociable crowd.

There was a hanar on the stage when Finn and Kyra entered, the latter looking a bit shaken. The hanar was in the middle of a stand-up act, but the sparse crowd and the bored looks on their faces made it clear that the Jelly wasn't seeing too much success that night.

Finn and Kyra sat at a booth in the far corner of the bar. A waitress in a sleek black dress approached.

"Welcome to the Lucky 57." She said in a silky voice. "What would you like to drink?"

"Do you have any Crystallic Cider?" Finn asked hopefully.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Interesting choice. Red, blue, or purple?"

"Blue, please." Finn said, pleasantly surprised.

"Okay. And you, Kyra?"

"Uh … sure. That'll be fine." She said waving a hand dismissively.

The waitress gave Finn a knowing smirk as she turned away and headed towards the bartender.

"Is that going to be okay?" Finn asked with some concern. "I thought …"

"I'm sorry." She blurted out.

Finn blinked, surprised. "Excuse me?"

"For the gun thing … and getting mad."

"Oh." Finn waved it off, saying, "Don't worry about it. Completely understandable, given the situation."

She sighed and slouched back against the side of the booth. "No it's not. You saved Krieger's life, and I pulled a weapon on you like some slum thug."

"I should've told you about the attack earlier. I just … it seemed harsh to tell someone I had only just met that one of her friends had been shot, maimed, and left for dead."

She sighed again and shook her head. "I just don't get it; Uncle Krieger's the nicest guy in the world. Why would anyone want to hurt him?"

Finn didn't have an answer. They sat in silence until the waitress returned with two glasses of a light blue liquid. Finn started to raise his omnitool arm to pay, but the waitress said, "Don't worry about it, hun; first drink for my baby girl's new boyfriend is on the house."

"Becca!" Kyra said, blushing. "It's not like that."

"Of course not. Let me know if you need anything, hon."

As she walked off, Kyra muttered, "You see what I've been dealing with since I left Sean? Ugh."

She grabbed her drink and took a big swallow, much to Finn's alarm.

"Isn't it dangerous for a dextro to eat or drink leva food?" He asked.

She put the glass down, her eyes even brighter than usual. "It would be if I was a dextro. My family's been omni for years."

"Omni? Is that even possible?"

"Well, I hope so!" She replied with a laugh. "My family's been that way for at least five generations. My ancestors were part of a commune that experimented with gene therapy to make omni-fruits and vegetables. It worked a little too well; they didn't even realize that the effect had spread to them until my ancestor became pregnant by her husband. He was human."

"So you're part human?" Finn asked, intrigued (and honestly amazed) by her story.

"Guilty as charged!" She took another sip of her drink and said, "This is pretty good. What did you call it again?"

"Crystallic Cider. To be honest, I didn't expect them to have any; I've only had it once before on a bar back on Earth, and the bartender wasn't sure where he got it." Shaking his head, he said, "Did Krieger send you any messages? Maybe he …"

He paused as she drained the rest of her glass. "Liked it that much, huh?"

"It reminds me of something." She stared at the empty glass, her brow furrowed. "Was it … yes, it was the birthday cake my mother made me the day before I headed out on my pilgrimage. That's weird, isn't it?"

"It's quarian tradition, isn't it?"

"No, no!" She said, laughing. "I mean, it tastes like really sweet cake icing. It's just kinda weird. Anyway, you were saying?"

"Did Krieger contact you at all recently? When he messaged me during the attack, he said you'd know what to do with … er, something."

"Something?" She asked curiously.

"He didn't get to say; whoever it was had just broken past his defenses. To be honest, I kinda hoped you'd know."

"I'm not sure. Hey, Becca! Could you get me another one of these?"

The barmaid came over a moment later with a fresh blue glass, saying, "Be careful, sweetie; it's potent stuff."

"I'll be fine." Kyra said dismissively. As her friend walked away, she took a long drink and let out a satisfied sigh. "By the ancestor's that's good."

"She's right you know; this stuff'll knock you off your feet if you're not careful."

"Pssh. Can't even taste the alcohol." Shaking her head, she asked, "What were we talking about again?"

"Krieger."

"Ah, yes … poor Uncle Krieger." She took another drink. When she put the glass down, there was a definite bleariness in her eyes. "I helped him build the Ulasomorf, y'know. Beautiful ship. Wish I could see it again."

"It's at dock twelve." Finn told her.

"Tha's right. He just gave it to you. Guess the ol' memory's going again."

He watched as she drained another glass with a sort of morbid fascination; he had one glass on Earth, and it had hit him like a bottle of whisky.

"I'd like to see it." She proclaimed. "I helped build it, you know."

"Yes, you just told me."

She brought her hands up and rested her head on her interlaced fingers. "You're nice. I can see why Krieger liked you."

"He mentioned me before?"

"Yup. Jake the dog and Finn the human." She giggled as though at some unseen joke. "Where did Jake go, anyway?"

"He went to let my friends know about Krieger. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. It's just …" She let out a sigh with melancholy that somehow managed to be even more blue than Finn's drink. "This place, y'know? Omega. When I was a girl, my dad told me stories about my great-great-great- ..." She waved her hand, continuing, "My ancestors coming here, and the adventures they had. S'why I came here; to have an adventure."

She snorted and pulled Finn's drink towards her. "Some adventure. I'm a mechanic in a garage. The most adventure I get is when I have to go to the extranet terminals to place a part order."

Shaking her head, she looked Finn in the general direction of Finn's eyes, saying, "You're lucky, y'know. Mysterious soldiers and top secret space ships and narrow escapes … that's the way to live."

"That's an optimistic way to look at it." Finn agreed begrudgingly.

"Damn right." She took a swallow of his drink. "Can't just hang around and be safe all the time. Look what happened to my people and the geth! I mean, we created life! Fully intelligent robots! I know programmers who would be overjoyed to see their work reach that level, but what did we do? We tried to kill them so we'd be safe. Weren't you happy when Jake developed an AI?"

"He was already an AI when I found him." Finn told her.

She gave him a confused look. "I thought he found you?"

Finn chuckled. "It's a matter of perspective. We found each other, really."

"Aww!" Kyra crooned before taking another drink. "That's sweet. You really do act like brothers, you know."

"Yeah, I guess we do."

She finished the glass and immediately stood up, her cheeks flushed.

"I want to sing." She said simply. Before Finn could respond, she headed towards the stage; to her credit, she was still mostly steady on her feet.

"My turn, Mister." She said, climbing up on stage. "Solace in Dreams, Jeffrey!"

The bartender nodded and tapped at a console behind the bar, no doubt loading up the song she requested.

The hanar quavered like a floating mass of jelly. "But this one has not finished entertaining the-"

The crowd cheered as Kyra took the microphone off the stand. The hanar hesitated for a moment before floating off the stage and out of the bar.

At first, Finn thought the people were just tired of the hanar; what little of the hanar's act Finn heard had been pretty awful. To his surprise a few people in the small crowd actually called out her name as the music started.. Curious, Finn sat down at one of the tables closer to the stage so he could hear better.

As she began to sing, Finn found himself mesmerized by the sound of her voice. Despite holding the contents of three crystallic ciders, her voice was clear and steady. He assumed she was singing in quarian, as he didn't understand the words. It didn't matter, though; the song was optimistic in tone, yet there was a note of sadness in her voice as she finished.

The crowd cheered when the music stopped. She smiled at the crowd and walked towards the edge of the stage. Finn saw the problem and quickly moved forward to catch her as she ran out of deck and toppled forward.

She looked up at him, a sleepy look on her smiling face. "Oops. Clumsy me. I think I need another drink."

"Yeah, I think we'd better get you home." He looked around for Becca, only to find the waitress already on the way over to them.

"Again, Kyra?" She asked, a hint of exasperation in her voice.

Kyra blew a raspberry at her. "I'm fine; I just need a sec to steady my nerves."

Becca sighed and rolled her eyes. Looking to Finn, she asked, "I don't get off of work for another three hours. Can you bring her home?"

"I don't need anyone's help." She said, pushing away from Finn. She didn't even manage to turn away before she fell back into his waiting arms.

"Okay, fine." Kyra said, rolling her eyes. "I'll take a damn cab."

Being a bar, there was a cab waiting outside just waiting for patrons who needed a lift. As Finn helped her into the back seat, Kyra murmured, "C'mere for a sec."

"What is it?" Finn asked, concerned.

She glanced at the turian cabbie before whispering, "He might be listening."

Sighing, Finn moved closer. To his surprise, she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks, Finn." She said, a small smile on her face. "I'm glad you're here. I know I'm a bit of a mess, but-"

"We're all a bit of a mess." He told her kindly. "It's what makes us who we are."

Her smile widened. "Stop by the shop tomorrow, okay?"

"I will. Now go home and get some sleep."

"Mmm." She said, resting her head against the backseat headrest.

As the cab lifted from the ground and flew away into the dark sky Finn stared after her, his mind a tangle of thoughts.

"So, how'd it go?"

Finn glanced back at Becca, who was watching him with arms crossed and an intrigued look on her face.

"What?" He asked, though he knew exactly what she was talking about.

She chuckled, saying, "That well, huh?"

"I don't understand."

"Oh, you will. Stop by again sometime; it's good to see Kyra singing again."

She walked back into the bar, leaving Finn alone with his confusion and Kyra's dark lipstick still on his cheek.


	9. Chapter 9 - Trouble

Chapter 9

**Trouble**

Finn waited patiently outside of Afterlife. He wasn't comfortable being this close to his old haunt, but he needed an obvious landmark for the others. Of course, seeing people pass by giving him strange looks didn't make him feel any less nervous.

He watched the line move as he waited; there was always a line outside Afterlife, though only a few people were likely to be club-goers. The others were mercenaries, assassins, thieves, and even the odd hopeful dancer hoping to catch the eye of Aria. She may not have been the nicest of asari, but she certainly wasn't shy about hiring new talent.

As time continued on with no sign of Darsan or Ensign Mannon, Finn began to grow worried. Just when he decided to go find a security station, Jake came running around the corner, yipping like a dog that had just been stung on the tail by a bee.

He ran behind Finn and cowered there as several men in blue armor continued chasing him.

"You there!" The leader, a batarian who somehow managed to look even meaner than batarians usually do, "Get out of the way!"

"What's the problem here?" Finn demanded, staying where he was.

The batarian pointed at Jake, saying, "That KEI-9 unit is our property."

"I find Jake is pretty much his own property." Finn replied evenly. "And if you don't believe in synthetics owning themselves, then consider him my property."

The batarian's eyes narrowed. "Finn."

His men raised their weapons, only for a loud voice to call out, "Drop your weapons!"

The bouncers guarding the entrance to Afterlife were not fond of trouble. Looking the other way would be risking Aria's wrath, and although some believed she had grown softer over the years, her forgiveness generally took the form of a bullet.

One of Aria's turian bouncers asked, "Is there a problem here?"

"This human and his KEI-9 Unit have stolen from the Blue Suns."

The turian ran a scanner over Finn. "I'm not detecting any weapons. You're registered as a mechanic, so I'm guessing those tools are yours."

He turned to Jake and scanned him as well. "KEI-9 Unit, registered as Jake to mechanic Finn Cresste."

Something on his omni-tool flashed, but Finn couldn't read it. Whatever it was made the turian raise an eyebrow.

"Clear out of here." The turian bouncer told the batarian gangster.

"What?!" The batarian exclaimed, a dark look crossing his face. "Aria wouldn't dare!"

"She already has." He turned his omni-tool around so everyone could see it; beside a rather unflattering picture of Finn was a symbol everyone on the station recognized. Even street thugs wouldn't dare touch a person bearing that seal.

The batarian blanched. "F-fine. We're leaving."

With a final flare at Finn, the batarian and his fellow gang members walked away.

Finn breathed a sigh of relief

The turian put an arm on his shoulder. "Not so fast, Mister Cresste. I need to have a little word with you."

Finn shook off the turian's hand, saying, "Look, I appreciate the save, I really do, but I really need to find out where my friends wandered off to."

The turian opened his mouth to argue, but all that came out was a sigh. "You look different, but you really haven't changed, have you?"

Finn opened his mouth to ask what the turian what he meant when his mind made the connection. He squinted at the turian for a moment before saying, "Eri Tyzuris? Is that you?"

"Last time I checked."

Finn let out a relieved laugh. He shook his old friend's hand and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "It's good to see you again, man! Finally working for Aria, I see."

"Well, all my friends were doing it." Eri chuckled. Glancing back, he motioned for the other bouncers to resume their usual posts. "So, what bring you back to Omega? Last I heard, you were leaving for some station in the middle of nowhere."

"Yeah, that station just got destroyed." Seeing his old friend's questioning look, he added, "Long story. I'm here with my coworkers, but …"

"They were kidnapped!" Jake blurted out.

Finn looked at Jake, alarmed. "What? When? How?"

"On the way here, by the Blue Suns."

"The Blue Suns?" Eri asked, sounding a little surprised. "They've been behaving themselves lately since their last tangle with the Blood Pack. After the pasting they got, I was kinda hoping they'd learned their lesson."

"Yeah, right." Finn muttered. He still had scars as a testament to how long the Blue Suns held a grudge. Kneeling down beside Jake, he asked, "Where were they, anyway?"

"The Gaza district." Jake told him. "I told them not to go there, but Darsan didn't want to pay for a cab."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Brilliant."

"Are they armed?" Eri asked, activating his omni-tool.

"One of them has my gun registered to me." Finn told him.

"One moment." Eri manipulated his omni-tool for a few moments. "Cresste, Finn … ugh, don't tell me you're still carrying around that old Carnifex?"

"I haven't exactly had much use for a gun on J-27."

Shaking his head, Eri said, "Looks like they're still the Gaza district. Warehouse 8-D, it looks like."

"Thanks, man. I appreciate it."

Finn started heading towards the nearest cab, only for Eri to drag him back.

"You're really just going to go off like that? I know you don't have another weapon."

"Would it help if I did?" Finn asked, smirking.

"Besides, what exactly are you planning to do?"

Finn was silent for a moment. "I don't know. It doesn't matter; I can't just leave them like this."

Eri rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'm going to explain this slowly so it gets through your thick skull; the Blue Suns is a gang. Gangs typically have many, many members, and the Blue Suns is one of the biggest around. They also have lots and lots of guns, trained biotics, and well-fortified strongholds. You have an omni-tool, a KEI-9 Unit, and a kiss on the cheek."

"A kiss on the …" Finn brought a hand up to his cheek and rubbed the spot where Kyra had kissed him. His fingers came away with a bit of the dark blue lipstick. Blushing, he wiped his cheek with his shirt.

Eri gave him an amused look before shaking his head. "Going to the Gaza district unarmed is stupid. Trying to take on the Blue Suns is just plain suicidal."

He was right, and Finn knew it. "So what do I do? Just chalk them up as a loss?"

"Yeah, 'cause you'd totally do that." Shaking his head, Eri said, "I'd say hire some mercenaries, but the Blue Suns are all over that district. Your best bet is a more covert approach."

He activated his omni-tool and motioned for Finn to do the same. "I'm going to give you the information we have on Warehouse 9-D. Suggested routes into the facility, likely places kidnapped victims might end up, a few passwords for the security inside, that kind of thing."

"Thanks, man." Finn transferred the data to his Omni-tool and glanced over the map. Looking back at Eri, he said, "I appreciate it."

"Not a problem, though if anyone asks, you bought that information from the Shadow Broker." After a moment's hesitation, he pulled the pistol from his belt and handed it to Finn, saying, "You can borrow this. Borrow; I expect to get it back later."

"You got it." Finn said, slipping the pistol into his tool bag.

"I gotta get back to work." Eri said, jerking a thumb back at Afterlife. "Let me know how everything works out, okay?"

As he walked off, Jake commented, "Looks like he's been doing well."

"I'm glad. I was a bit worried he'd end up taking the blame for me." Shaking his head, Finn said, "C'mon; let's get to the Gaza district."

The Gaza district was a dirty slum, and that was putting it kindly; it had always been home to the low-income families, usually miners and the like; easy targets for the Blue Suns who quickly dominated the region.

To be fair, the Blue Suns weren't completely unreasonable. They may have extorted protection money, but they did offer genuine protection against thieves and muggers. They didn't normally go out of their way to harass normal folk, and generally only became a problem to those who were problems themselves.

Of course, that all went out of the window the moment their property was violated. If Finn was caught messing around in Blue Suns territory, he'd be in trouble. One gun and Jake would only help temporarily, and only if the rest of the Blue Suns didn't find any bodies. If they did, they'd clamp down on the sector like an emergency brake.

All of this ran through Finn's mind as he slowly climbed up the side of the warehouse, bracing one foot against the warehouse wall and the other against the wall of the apartment complex next door. He found the climb rather easy, even with Jake slung over his shoulder; oddly enough, Finn didn't find him that heavy.

"Hey, Finn." Jake asked as they progressed upward. "Why do you think the Blue Suns are after us? You don't suppose this is about that Polaski job, do ya?"

"I doubt it." Finn replied. "That was years ago."

"Yeah. Besides, Mannon and Darsan had nothing to do with that." After a momentary pause, he asked, "This couldn't have anything to do with what happened to Krieger and J-27, could it?"

That thought didn't sit well with Finn. Shaking his head as he tested a line of conduit to see if it'd hold his weight. "Let's not worry about that right now."

With a grunt, he pulled himself up to the edge of a large air vent. Bracing himself as best as he could, Finn pulled small plasma cutter from his tool and started cutting through the side of the vent.

He was almost done when Jake hissed, "Incoming!"

Far beneath them, a man wearing Blue Suns armor stepped out of the warehouse. She closed the door before tugging off her helmet and lighting a cigarette. Finn kept perfectly still as he could, inwardly cursing his bad luck as the soldier smoked below him.

Another Blue Sun soldier left the building a moment later. From the distance, Finn could tell it was a batarian. He didn't know if it was the same one that had confronted him earlier until they began to speak.

"I heard Fuego shouting from my post." The woman said, a lopsided grin on her face. "Must've screwed up big time."

"I had him and the stupid robot mutt." He growled, accepting the cigarette she offered. After lighting up and taking a few puffs, he said, "Like it's my fault the guy's untouchable."

"Can't get 'em all, I suppose."

"We have to. It's an all or nothing deal."

"I hope we go with the nothing. He's definitely not coming here now, and I wouldn't bet a credit on our chances against Aria's goons."

"We wouldn't have to hold out for long. Our clients have graciously offered us assistance in deposing Omega's dear queen."

The woman nodded, an impressed look on her face as she dropped her cigarette and crushed it beneath her heel. "That's an interesting notion. Did Fuego go for it?"

"I didn't hear." The batarian muttered. "He threw me out. Still, I got it easy; they shot Tyren for losing the elcor."

"I'm not surprised after he let the elcor escape. Still, we'll find him soon enough. Have you ever seen an elcor in a hurry? It's a damn riot." Shaking her head, she said, "I'd better get back to my post. The last thing I need is Fuego on my tail."

Finn let out a sigh as the two gang members walked back into the building. Shaking his head, he finished cutting a hole in the duct big enough for he and Jake.

"Well, how about that? Darsan managed to get away."

Jake hopped off Finn's shoulders and into the vent. "It's clear, man."

As Finn climbed into the duct after Jake, he found he really didn't blame Darsan. Alive and ashamed is still a heck of a lot better than being dead.


	10. Chapter 10 - Sneaks and Thieves

Chapter 10

**Sneaks and Thieves**

Finn and Jake crawled through the vent ducts as quietly as they could manage. Finn had wrapped Jake's feet in bits of cloth from a particularly repugnant T-shirt they had bought on the way (Omega; it's better than being Spaced!) to muffle his footsteps, and he was careful to keep his tool bag tightly closed as he moved very slowly forward.

His omni-tool remained active, displaying the schematics of the place so Finn could see his way. The vents ran through the building like a maze; while a warehouse, there were several additional floors above the main room, all of which needed air-conditioning apparently. Those grates were too small to crawl through, but they did offer a window into the rooms.

Most of the warehouse seemed to be weapon storage. Rooms and rooms were filled with assault rifles, shotguns, pistols, sniper rifles, submachine guns, rocket and grenade launchers, flamethrowers and more; pretty much anything a person would like to aim at someone he or she wanted to remove from the realm of the living was stored in the warehouse.

"All this, and they're still scared of Aria." He murmured. "Puts things into perspective, doesn't it?"

Jake chuckled softly. "Yeah. Shame she doesn't just kick them out."

"Can you blame her? They bring money into the station. No one would come to Omega if you took away their vices." He nodded, saying, "Turn left here."

"What about Ilium? Ilium has the same vices, and it's legal."

"Ilium wasn't built in a gutted out asteroid. Besides, the asari built Ilium, and you know they can't make anything without adding a certain level of beauty."

"So you're saying Omega is bad because it's ugly?"

"I …" Finn glared at Jake. "Look, if we keep talking, someone's going to hear us."

After a long and cold trek through the vents, they finally reached a spot where several vents converged. A door had been installed in the vent for maintenance purposes.

Jake sniffed at the door for a few moments before holding up a paw and waving it once. Nodding, Finn took up a position beside the door and purposefully dropped a screwdriver.

"Huh? What was that?" The door opened, revealing a masked guard. As he stuck his head into the vent, Finn brought the wrench down on his head. The man fell to the ground in a heap without so much as a word.

"Getting a lot of use out of this lately." Finn commented, tossing the wrench in the air and catching it deftly.

He started to leave the vent, but Jake caught the edge of his jeans. "Hang on; this guy's about your size."

"So?" Finn shrugged. "A lot of people are my size."

"Yeah, but he's wearing a Blue Suns uniform."

A few minutes later, Finn climbed out of the vent in the soldier's armor. Jake had reconfigured his body to look sort of like an Epson series plasma cannon and was mounted on Finn's back like a standard heavy weapon.

"Figures you'd find a way to sit this out." Finn muttered.

"Hey, it's not my fault I'm a rare model."

"That's strange; I didn't think guns talked."

Shaking his head, Finn checked his map and started walking. He hadn't worn combat armor since his time with the Alliance, it added some protection, but it also left his legs feel unusually stiff; he sincerely hoped he didn't have to run while wearing it.

A few of the other Blue Suns members passed by Finn as he walked the halls. Most gave him a curt nod as they passed, though some just ignored him altogether. All in all, the deception seemed to be going well … right up to the moment he heard someone shout, "Hey, you!"

Finn didn't stop; flinching would've given him away easily. He slowed his pace as he heard someone approaching him quickly.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" A three-fingered hand clamped onto his shoulder and spun him around to face a turian with red clan markings. The turian shoved a large box into Finn's hands, saying, "Bring this to heavy room 2-B. You've got your clearance card, right?"

"Umm … no, sir."

The turian let out an exasperated sigh. He pulled a small blue card from his pocket and slapped it on top of the box, saying, "It's a wonder you humans don't put your boots on backwards. I'll get another keycard from Frank; you just make sure you don't lose that one, okay? Now get moving!"

"Yes sir!"

"And don't call me sir!" The turian snapped. Walking away, Finn heard him grumbling under his breath.

After a few moments, Jake whispered, "Is he gone?"

"Yeah." Finn told him. "Don't worry; we're not too far off from the signal."

"About that; isn't it likely that they took your gun from her?"

"Probably. Still, it's as good a place as any to start. Besides, I want my pistol back."

The lift was being worked on by a harassed-looking salarian, so Finn opted for the stairwell instead. It occurred to him as he climbed up the stairs that he was still holding the box. It didn't feel that heavy to him, despite the turian telling him to take it to heavy weapon storage. He cracked the lid and immediately let out a whistle. "Haven't seen one of these before."

"What?" Jake asked, "What haven't you seen before?"

"It's a surprise. Now stop talking; we're almost there."

The fifth floor was a bit more crowded; there were guards at almost every door. Unfortunately, that included the room where the signal originated. Fortunately, Finn had a plan.

He approached the door, saying, "Got some more phalanx pistols here."

"Pistols are down the hall." The guard said, gesturing to his right.

Finn paused for a moment to adjust his strategy. "Really? The guy on three said it went here. Room C-3, right?"

The man let out the kind of sigh given by the sort of worker asked questions of the caliber of 'do you work here?'. "That is what it says above the door."

"Well, that's where he said he wanted them."

"Where who wanted them?" The guard asked suspiciously.

"I dunno. I was heading out when some turian on three threw this at me and demanded I bring it up here."

"Oh, Reyl?" the guard relaxed. "Yeah, he's been on edge since we started stocking up. Clearance card?"

Finn held up the card the turian had gave him. The guard ran it over the door scanner and handed it back when the panel gave an affirmative-sounding chirp.

"Go on in." He said, stepping aside.

The room was not, as Finn suspected, the pistol room. Rather, it seemed to be some kind of machine shop for weapon maintenance and repair.

Finn found his pistol rather quickly, lying in a pile of unused parts and miscellaneous garbage. He holstered the gun, saying, "I guess expecting her to still be armed after being kidnapped was a bit silly."

Jake didn't reply; he was busy sniffing around the room. He claimed to have a dog's sense of smell, but Finn thought it more likely that the sniffing was just his way of masking his scanning techniques.

Shaking his head, Finn glanced around the room for anything else of use. After all, it wasn't like he was going to get in any more trouble if they caught him.

"Ooh." Finn said, setting the box on a workbench so he could pick up a screwdriver-like device with a strange emitter instead of a tip. "This looks handy."

His thumb quickly found a small button. As soon as he pressed it, however, half of the power tools started activating by themselves.

"Gah!" Finn fumbled with the device for a moment longer and quickly hit the button again, stopping the devices.

Jake, glanced over at him, asking, "What is it?"

"I have no idea." Finn carefully placed the device back on the workbench and turned back to the box. "This, on the other hand, I recognize perfectly.

He pulled out a gleaming black weapon and ran a finger along the barrel, saying, "An M-490 Blackstorm Singularity Projector."

Jake hopped up on the workbench and stared at the device with just as much awe as Finn. "Now that is a thing of beauty."

"I can't believe they even found one of these damn things." Finn took aim and grinned when the three support arms running along the barrel swiftly slid into place. "And it still works, too."

"Let's take it with us!"

Finn glanced at Jake, asking, "You're kidding, right?"

"Of course I'm not kidding! That monster could level this building if you amped up the power. Consider it a plan B in case things don't work out."

"But what about you? I can't go around carrying two heavy weapons; it'll look suspicious."

"Well …" Jake glanced around the room for a few moments before spotting something that made him grin. "Hey, there's a vent on the ceiling. I bet you could squeeze me in there."

Finn gave him an odd look. "You want to go back in the vents?"

"Why not? Look, we need to find Mannon, right? Well, I'll take the vents and you stick with the corridors, and we'll double our chances!"

"That's …" Finn slowly nodded, continuing, " … not a bad idea, actually. Okay; let's go."

Finn stacked a few boxes next to the vent. With Jake in hand, he climbed up and started to unscrew the vent cover. Once he finished, he tried to slip Jake into the opening, only to find that he couldn't quite fit.

"Ugh." Finn muttered, trying to force Jake through the hole. "You need to get thinner."

"Hey, I don't comment on the way you look."

With a final shove, Finn managed to slide Jake into the vent. Unfortunately, the stack of boxes wasn't as stable as he had hoped, all the shuffling around had twisted one of the boxes to the point where it collapsed under the weight. Finn fell back, smashing through the other supporting box with a loud crash.

The door opened, revealing a concerned looking guard. "What in the hell are you doing in here?"

Finn slowly rose, trying to ignore the pain in his back. "It's fine. Stack of boxes fell on me, that's all."

"Well, be more careful. You know much Hal gets pissed when someone messes around in his workshop." After a momentary pause, he asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'll live." Finn replied, wincing as he walked past the guard, hoping he wouldn't notice that he had a different weapon strapped to his back now.

"No reason to play the tough guy when we've got a perfectly good doc. Get down to three and have Stetson take a look at you."

"Yeah." Finn agreed. "Good idea."

Finn took the long way through the floor, making a point to scan each room for human life signs. Unfortunately, the only humans he detected were members of the Blue Suns.

As he walked down the stairs to the fourth floor, he spotted pair of guards heading up, too busy talking to pay him any notice. He didn't think anything of them until he heard the word 'prisoner'.

Slowing his descent, he listened intently as they passed him on the way to the fifth floor.

"…gonna come out on top. We've got her down on two, and from what I hear, we'll have the others soon enough."

"They're going to help us with the Blood Pack too, I hope. Taking the station's fine, but who wants to face an angry pack of krogan to get it?"

Once they were out of range, Finn asked quietly, "Did you hear that?"

"Loud and clear." Jake's voice replied in his ear. "I'll meet ya on two."

The walkway of the second floor was essentially a balcony that ran around the top of the warehouse. The warehouse itself was filled with mechs, gunships, speeder bikes, and even a few Kodiak shuttles.

Several of the outlying rooms were guarded by two or more guards. Finn casually walked by, pretending to be scanning with his omni-tool and giving the guards a friendly nod which was generally returned.

As he neared a room on the far side of the floor, he finally got a blip on his scanner. Switching to heat scanning, he could see that the person inside the room was sitting on a chair, looking extremely bored.

"Bingo." He whispered.

He approached the guard, saying, "I'm here to-"

"Oh, thank the maker." Said the guard on the right. "What, did you get lost or something? You're an hour late!"

"My apolo-"

"Ugh. At least you managed to convince Reyl to give you a new helmet." He stomped off, leaving Finn alone with the other guard.

"Glad you came." The guard said gruffly. "I was getting tired of hearing him whine."

"Should we check on the …" Finn began.

"Not if we want to keep breathing, kid. Fuego says it's off limits."

"Fair enough." Finn took up the previous guard's position.

His mind raced for a plausible way to get into the room without suspicion, but there wasn't much in the way of options; the open nature of the floor made it impossible to take out the other guard without being noticed, and now he couldn't even sneak away.

He was still trying to think of something when he heard Jake's voice suddenly say, "Don't worry, bro; I've got this."

Almost immediately, half of the vehicles on the first floor began to move about on their own. One gunship smashed into part of the floor, destroying the balcony and part of what looked to be a server room. Speeder bikes started flying everywhere, sending most of the guards running for cover, including the guard next to Finn.

Jake fell out of a nearby Vent and landed easily on his feet in a dramatic pose. "Who's the man? I'm the man! Oh, yeah!"

"You're a dog, but I get what you mean." Finn opened the door and said, "Now if you're finished spreading chaos, shall we go inside and get to the rescuing part of the plan?"

"My pleasure!" Jake sauntered through the door.

Finn took a final look around; several guards had leapt onto a Kodiak shuttle and were trying without success to get in the door as its door flapped open and closed like the wing of a bird. Shaking his head, he followed Jake inside, swiftly closing the door behind him.

The room was your typical holding cell; small, austere and boring. The Blue suns had opted for traditional iron bars instead of energy fields, probably because when the chips are down, nothing is better at keeping a sapient being confined than metal bars and solid walls, with the possible exception of particularly sneaky hanar.

Ensign Mannon was sitting on a grey bench nursing her right arm and sporting an impressive black eye. She glared up at Finn as he approached, warning, "You stick a hand through those bars and I promise you won't get it back."

"Really? And after I came all this way to rescue you?" Finn pulled off his helmet.

Mannon's eyes went wide. "Finn!" She rushed forward and slid her arms through the bars so that she could grab Finn's hands. "Thank God! I was sure they had gotten you too!"

"I got lucky." Finn told her. Glancing at the bars, he commented, "Now, to get you out."

Before he could reach for his plasma torch, the room suddenly shuddered.

"… the hell?" He said, looking around as a strange vertigo passed over him.

Hearing the sliding of metal, Finn glanced up and saw the bars were slowly lowering. Once they were down far enough, Mannon took a running jump and managed to climb over them. As she landed beside Finn, he handed her the assault rifle he had taken from the same guard who had supplied his armor.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Jake said, backing up until he was against Finn's legs.

The walls of the room abruptly began to slide into the floor, revealing that they were in a large office. Whoever owned it certainly had a thing for books; there were bookshelves everywhere.

A desk had been set up at the far end of the room. Seated at the desk was a human with short blonde hair. He was wearing plain clothes, and was currently reading a hardcover book with great interest, resolutely ignoring the three people who had just arrived in his office.

Finn took a step forward, only for a force field to knock him back.

"One moment." Very deliberately, the man placed a red ribbon in the book he was reading and set it down on the desk. As he looked up at Finn, an unpleasant smile slid across his face.

"Ah, the illustrious Finn and Jake. I was wondering when I might see you again."


	11. Chapter 11 - Confidence

Chapter 11

**Confidence**

Finn stared at the man. He was rather nondescript; brown hair and eyes, lanky build, an annoying knowing smirk plastered on his face. Even his clothes bespoke mediocrity.

"This was a trap." Finn said unnecessarily.

The man smirked at him. Finn had the impression that had the man worn glasses, he would've pushed them up the bridge of his nose before he said, "Quite simple, really. Why go to the trouble of trying to catch you on the outside when you were bound to come here sooner or later. All I had to do was wait patiently."

He stood up from his desk and approached the edge of the containment field. "But where are my manners? I know you, but you don't know me. I am Fuego Massani, leader of the Blue Suns."

Finn didn't respond. He was keenly aware of the Blackstorm's weight on his back, but even if the singularity could pierce the field, there was no way to use it against Fuego without killing all of them in the process.

"You must've made someone pretty angry." Fuego said, casually walking around the energy barrier. "The price on your capture is pretty impressive for a repairman. What did you do?"

"You tell me." Finn replied with a glare.

Fuego chuckled. "Now, now, Finn. Don't be a sore loser. As for your transgression, I would have to guess that you've come into contact with an item that the owner would clearly like back."

"I'm not a thief." Finn replied reflexively. The sight of Fuego grinning made him realize that he had made an error.

"Oh? So that wasn't you who led the group that broke into the Polaski Center and drained our credit account? The people you left behind seemed pretty sure in the end. Devon and Jimmy … good lads. A shame, really."

"You tortured and killed them." Finn replied, anger beginning to swell inside him. Devon and Jimmy had been little more than teenagers at the time.

"A message had to be sent." He told Finn sharply. "If we just let it slide, the others would view us as weak and attack. They'd fail, but that's not the point."

He took a moment to compose himself. Finn took advantage of the silence to ask, "So who is it? Who put the price on our head?"

"You don't know? Huh. I find that strange. How could you possibly get over a million credits on your head and not know?"

"Quite easily apparently." Finn said dryly.

Fuego frowned at his tone. "You really don't know, do you? I'm not sure if I should think you're lying, or just an idiot. Either way, I suppose it doesn't matter."

Tired of the conversation, Finn activated his omni-tool, only for Fuego to tell him, "Don't bother. It only responds to my omni-tool."

Finn tried to hack into the energy field projector anyway, but Fuego was right; it was locked up tight.

"I was right, wasn't I?" Fuego asked, a cruel smile on his face. "It would be pretty silly to give you such an easy way out. Of course, let it not be said that I'm not fair."

He stepped back behind his desk and activated his omni-tool. The energy field went down moments later.

Finn started forward immediately, but Jake was faster. Bunching up just behind the desk, he leapt at Fuego only to impact another force-field that ran across the space between the final two bookcases.

As he fell to the ground with a loud yip, Fuego laughed. "Did you truly think I'd really be that foolish?" I may have widened your cage a bit, but don't question that you are still in a cage."

He gestured towards the door, saying, "I've got every member of the Blue Suns from the Gaza District in this building, and several guards watching that door. The moment they open, they will sound the alert. If you truly think you can take them all on, then by all means, go."

"What about your bounty?" Finn asked him.

He shrugged. "The bounty said nothing about you being dead or alive."

Finn swore inwardly; Fuego had them right where he wanted them. The knowledge that he had fallen so easily for such a simple trap stung him far more than he wanted to admit. Even with the Blackstorm, he doubted the three of them could get out alive.

Mannon raised her rifle suddenly and fired a single shot from her assault rifle. The shot sped through a narrow gap in the bookshelves, ricochet off the ceiling then off a statue in the back corner, whizzed by Fuego close enough to make him take a swat at it as though it were a fly, and smash into a small console on the back wall.

The field died instantly. Mannon closed the distance between herself and Fuego in a matter of seconds. Fear evident on his once calm face, Fuego reached behind his desk for something we couldn't see.

That was a mistake. Mannon caught Fuego by the hair and banged his head into the book he had been reading. As she pulled him back up, his hand bumped the book and sent it tumbling to the floor.

Mannon looped an arm around Fuego's neck, her assault rifle jabbing into the man's side. Looking at Finn, she nodded firmly.

"Nice shot." He offered weakly, a bit stunned by the rapid turn of events.

She accepted the compliment with a quick nod. "Think they'll shoot through this guy?"

"Maybe. Still, he looks like he could stop a few bullets." Fuego's eyes went wide. He opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a squeak.

"Hey, Finn! Aren't you reading this?" Jake nudged the hardbound book that had fallen towards Finn.

Finn picked up the book and smiled when he noticed the title. "'The Crusade of Sir Tirager Vespere, Knight of Justice'. Thanks, Fuego; I lost my copy when your business partners blew up J-27."

Fuego didn't reply, though that may not have been voluntary; Mannon had him in a choke hold after all.

Finn pulled the Blackstorm off of his back, saying, "You guys ready to get out of here?"

Two soldiers were staring boredly at the twin doors that led to Fuego's office.

"Man, this sucks." The first one said.

"Easy, there." The other said calmly. "He wants us here, and here's where we're gonna stay."

After a few moments, the first guard turned to the other, asking, "Do you hear that?"

"What?"

"That sound! It's like a high-pitched whine that keeps getting louder."

They both slowly turned to the door, no doubt coming to the same conclusion.

As the doors slid open, a massive singularity shot forward at a surprisingly slow pace like a massive black cannonball. The guards were swiftly snatched up and carried along as the singularity continued floating across the corridor, picking up anything loose in the hallway as it passed. A few more Blue Suns made the mistake of sticking their heads out of the nearby rooms, only to get yanked away as well.

The now massive singularity hit the far wall and froze there for a few seconds before it seemed to explode outward briefly then imploded, vaporizing everything in its range, including the wall.

"Hell yeah!" Finn shouted, motioning for Mannon and the others to follow him as he ran down the hallway.

Mannon had to move a bit slower because of Fuego, but fortunately, they reached the hole in the wall before anyone showed up to investigate. Just to be safe, Finn shot a singularity upstairs and downstairs; sure enough, the sounds of panicked cries echoed down the steps. When the singularities exploded, they took most of the nearby stairs with them.

"Hey, Jake!" Finn asked casually. "Think you could get us a ride?"

"No problem!" Jake leapt through the opening, despite the fact that they were at least three floors off the ground.

Turning to face Fuego, Finn asked, "I don't suppose you'd tell me who wants me so bady, would you?"

Mannon loosened her hold on his neck enough for him to speak. "I don't know, I swear I don't know!"

A taxi floated up to the hole in the wall, it's door swinging open to reveal Jake at the controls.

"I got him." Finn told Mannon, motioning for her to get inside while keeping the Blackstorm aimed at him.

Mannon shoved the lanky human aside and quickly hurried past Finn.

Fuego stood perfectly still, terror in his eyes as Finn took aim with his Blackstorm. With an evil grin on his face, Finn said, Well, I guess this is goodbye."

"I'll give you anything you want, Finn; money, weapons, vehicles … you name it, it's yours, just please don't kill me!"

"Kill you?" Finn let out a laugh. "How do you think I keep the Blackstorm singularities from affecting me? It's got a built in shield emitter than keeps it from affecting anything with five or so feet."

Just as Fuego started to relax, Finn took aim and started charging up a shot. Fuego let out a shriek and threw himself aside. He needn't have bothered; Finn wasn't aiming for him. The singularity shot down the long hallway and into his office, where it pulled literally thousands of books from their shelves before finally detonating.

"That was for Jimmy and Devon; two of the finest friends a guy could ask for." After raising the Blackstorm in a mock salute to a mortified-looking Fuego, Finn hopped into the cab and closed the door behind him.

"Ha!" Jake said, holding out a metal paw which Finn promptly fist-bumped. "Now that was an exit!"

"Are they going to keep chasing us?" Mannon asked worriedly.

Finn let out a chuckle as he and Jake switched places. "Definitely."

The cab zoomed away towards Afterlife like a thing possessed. With Finn at the helm, it wove through the lines of traffic and old apartment complexes until it the Gaza District was behind them.

It wasn't long before Finn spotted several ships emblazoned with the symbol of the Blue Suns closing in on them

"Looks like they got some of those Kodiaks running." Finn said aloud, more to himself than anyone.

"Can you shake them?" Mannon asked him, her face a bit pale.

"I dunno." He replied with a grin. "Let's see if the UT-76 models move faster than the flying bricks back in the Alliance."

Finn pushed the cab as fast as it could go, swerving from side to side randomly to make it harder for the Blue Suns to get a bead on him. They took a few shots at him, but Finn made sure that none of the shots came even close.

As more Kodiaks joined in the hunt, Finn began to have more and more difficulty avoiding fire. A few shots skimmed the top of the cab, but only caused superficial damage.

"We need cover." Finn said grimly. "Hold on, everybody!"

Finn brought the cab into a steep dive into a district he wasn't too familiar with. There were buildings, there was thick traffic, and it was close, so it would have to do.

Six Blue Suns Kodiaks followed behind him, still slowly gaining. There was another vehicle behind them, some kind of heavy unit transport. Finn suspected a mech of some type; the Blue Suns certainly had plenty of them.

"All right." Finn muttered. "Let's see if you can keep up with this."

Finn steepened his dive through the thickest parts of traffic as Mannon and Jake clutched each other in fear as they clipped more than one other vehicle in their path. Purposefully rising up and falling down as abruptly as he could, Finn's course was nothing sort of chaotic, yet luck seemed to be in their favor.

The Blue Suns following him weren't quite as lucky. More than one Kodiak caught the edge of an oncoming car, one taking a direct hit to its engine and falling into the district below as smoke trailed behind it. Another crashed when Finn dove towards the ground and pulled up at the last second, a scant few meters from the surface. He even managed to lose a few of them by sliding through the narrow space between two buildings; the cab received more than a few bangs, but the Kodiaks that followed either smashed into the building, or got stuck between the buildings.

Unfortunately, he couldn't shake them all, and several more had already joined the group behind him, the heavy transport hanging back a safe distance. Glancing to either side, Finn noticed that several had broken off and were trying to flank him on either side. If he didn't do something, they were in serious trouble.

"Jake!" Finn said, moving out of the driver's seat. "Take the controls!"

"What are you going to …" Mannon's eyes went wide as she saw him ready the Blackstorm. "No, Finn, you can't! There are innocent people around here!"

"I know." He said calmly as he reconfigured the heavy weapon. "Don't worry; I'm setting the singularity to quick detonate; it should take care of the vehicles behind us. Jake, get us above the traffic so I don't accidentally suck in anything not Blue Suns."

"Got it."

Once the cab rose above the cloud of traffic, Finn opened the side of the cab and braced himself against the door. Taking aim as best he could while holding the Blackstorm, he launched a singularity at the group tailing them.

Ironically, the altered settings made the singularity all the larger. It hit the first ship, immediately drawing in all ships near it into a cluster and swiftly detonating.

Unfortunately, not all of the ships were fully inside the sphere of detonation; bits of the front-most ship were blasted away by the blast, colliding with the back of the cab.

The impact shook Finn from his position. With a yelp he slid out of the door, the Blackstorm thankfully catching on something inside the cab. He looked up to find that the something as Ensign Mannon.

"Oh, no you don't!" She said through gritted teeth as she tugged him back into the cab. "You haven't finished getting us out of this yet!"

"Thanks" He told her gratefully as the door swung shut. "I owe you one."

"You'd better get to repaying that." Jake warned him. "We just lost our main engine."

"Can we get to the ground?" Finn asked, quickly moving to the control seat.

Unfortunately, Jake was right; the main engine was completely offline. The emergency thrusters were active, but must've taken some damage as well; they couldn't compensate fully at the speed they were going. Gritting his teeth, Finn said, "Everyone strap in; this isn't going to be pretty!"

It was all Finn could do to avoid traffic as the cab fell. The cab had emergency lights, so most other vehicles took care to give them a wide berth. Soon, they were past the brunt of the traffic and were falling towards the street below. Fortunately, most people on the ground had noticed the problem and had quickly cleared the road.

Finn tried to soften their landing as much as he could by rerouting all remaining power to the engines, but the cab still hit the ground hard enough to jar every bone in Finn's body. The cab scraped along the ground for a few dozen feet before finally sliding to a stop.

After a few moments, Finn breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed in his chair. "Another good landing."

"You call that a good landing?" Mannon asked incredulously.

"Any landing I can walk away from is a good landing." Finn replied as he tried to open the door. The door was jammed, but he managed to get it open with a good kick.

Jake stumbled out of the car and into the street. What few people had stayed to see who was in the car quickly left at the sight of the Blue Suns armor Finn was wearing, leaving the street little more than an empty road of abandoned storefronts.

"You okay, bro?" Finn asked Jake.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Jake replied, his voice quavering slightly. "Are we on the ground yet?"

Grinning, Finn said, "Well, at least we managed to …"

No less than eight Kodiak shuttles landed around the wreckage of the cab. In moments, what seemed like a small army of soldiers were surrounding Finn, Mannon, and Jake.

"Uh oh." Finn muttered. He considered going for the Blackstorm again, but he knew he'd never be fast enough to get them all.

Mannon glanced at Finn, saying, "This doesn't look good."

"We've been in worse."

"When?"

Finn considered the question for a moment. "Well, we could be in worse one day, right?"

She flashed him a small smile. "Look, if this doesn't work out, I just want you to know I appreciate that you came after me."

"Of course I came after you." Finn told her. "We're family."

One of the Blue Sun soldiers stepped forward, shouting, "Drop your weapons, or we will open fire!"

Jake and Mannon both gave him a nod. Bracing himself, Finn said, "I think not."

The lead soldier's eyes narrowed. As he opened his mouth to no doubt order his troops to fire, the heavy transport landed behind him.

Slowly, the back of the transport fell open, revealing a dark room that was strangely filled with mist. From the confused looks on the faces of the soldiers, Finn realized that they weren't expecting this.

As the figure inside slowly stepped out of the transport, Finn's jaw dropped.

"Bad-assedly; Rock and roll, scum!"

"Darsan?" Mannon whispered, the disbelief in her voice matching Finn's thoughts precisely.

It was Darsan, though they could barely tell; he was almost completely covered in armor, and multiple assault rifles were mounted on both sets of his legs in addition to the several heavy weapons mounted on his back. A glowing visor floated in front of his eyes, no doubt a targeting system for the weapons, but it was the red-velvet pimp hat with a massive blue feather in the brim and a leopard-skin band that edged his appearance over the edge into surrealism.

One of the Blue Suns made the mistake of taking a shot. Almost instantly, all of Darsan's assault rifles opened fire.

Seeing an opportunity, Finn aimed his Blackstorm behind him and sent a group of soldiers flying with a well-placed singularity while Mannon managed to take out a few of the soldiers that had been flanking them. Jake opened fire as well, his buster cannon firing bursts of energy as he rushed at the soldiers, occasionally stunning one with an electrical spark from his monitor.

Darsan continued stomping forward like a living tank, cutting anything in his path to shreds. The aiming system he was using was incredibly precise, allowing him to fire directly around Finn, Mannon, and Jake without hitting them a single time.

When final Blue Sun had fallen and the dust had settled, everyone slowly approached Darsan as his arsenal slid back into their respective standby positions.

"Smug; now that is how you do it." Darsan told them as his visor vanished.

Mannon hugged his arm, saying, "Thank you, Darsan. We never would've gotten out of that without you."

To Finn's surprise, Darsan blushed. "Bashfully; it was nothing. I only wish I had not left you behind."

"You came through in the end." Finn said, patting Darsan's shoulder. "I like your new hat, by the way."

"Delighted; It is a nice hat, isn't it?"

"It's just adorable." Mannon told him, giving him a kiss on the cheek and making his face go even more red.

Jake wagged his tail end happily. "So we made it! We're in the clear, right?"

Finn opened his mouth to respond when a bright spotlight appeared around all of them. Three gunships slowly descended around them. Finn tried to make out any gang signs on the ships, but the light was nearly blinding.

One of the ships landed. After a few moments, a familiar face climbed out.

"Eri!" Finn called out, taking a step forward. A burst of fire from one of the gunships made him quickly step back.

Eri gestured at one of the ships, which quickly backed off. Glancing around at the carnage that surrounded the denizens of J-27, he shook his head and said, "I thought I told you to take the stealthy route, Finn."

Finn shrugged nonchalantly. "I got bored."

"Finn!" Mannon hissed, elbowing him in the ribs. She winced when her elbow hit his armor.

Eri looked at each member of the group, his eyes lingering a bit longer on the heavily armed Darsan. With a sigh, he said, "Come on, all of you."

"Where are we going?" Finn asked suspiciously.

"Straight to Afterlife. Aria wants to talk to all of you, and she's in no mood for a raincheck."


	12. Chapter 12 - The Principal's Office

Chapter 12

**The Principal's Office**

Aria stared at the group standing before her. Finn found himself standing in the front of the group, everyone else somehow finding a way to huddle up behind him. Even Darsan looked like he was trying to shrink himself down. Eri was there as well, standing a little ways back to make sure no one made a run for it.

Finn stared back at Aria, careful to give away nothing in his gaze. He wondered if she was a Matriarch or just a Matron; if rumors were true, she was definitely old enough for the former. Then again, he had heard that asari could choose when to phase-up, so to speak. She still looked exactly the same; beautiful, to be sure, but there was a look of hunger in her eyes that hinted at the predatorial mind behind them.

She tossed back a shot of some purple liquor before picking up a datapad from the table beside her couch. "Over a hundred dead Blue Suns, eight crashed shuttles, thousands of credits in property damage and rare antiquities, and one seriously pissed off cab driver."

Tossing the datapad back on the table, she leaned forward and gave Finn a smile that did not calm him in the slightest. "This is the second time you managed to seriously piss off the Blue Suns, Finn. It's not a healthy hobby."

Finn blushed, keenly aware of the strange looks Darsan and Mannon gave him. "Well, there are so many Blue Suns these days, I really didn't think anyone would notice if a few were missing."

The smile faded away from Aria's face. "You think this is funny? You think I like waking up to that moron Fuego's screeching voice?"

"They kidnapped-"

"Shut up!" She snapped, silencing Finn in an instant.

She stared at him, her face unreadable. "I don't need this kind of trouble, Finn; I didn't need it then, and I don't need it now."

"Then punish me." Finn told her. "My friends aren't part of this."

Jake suddenly leapt in front of Finn, saying, "Yeah! Let Darsan and Mannon go! They aren't part of this!"

Darsan objected, "Alarmed; I took out the most Blue Suns. I am responsible, not Finn."

Mannon nodded nervously. "H-he was just trying to rescue me. It's my fault …"

"I said SHUT UP!" Aria shouted over the rising din.

The room fell silent.

Recomposing herself, Aria gestured to Darsan, saying, "Get the girl, the elcor, and the dog out of here. Put them on their ship and make sure they stay there."

Eri started to herd them away, but Aria stopped him, saying, "Did I say you could leave?"

"I don't understand." Eri said slowly.

"You gave Finn information meant for my eyes only. Everything that happened can be attributed to you."

"What? But I …"

Aria gave him a warning glance. He quickly nodded, saying, "Y-yes. Of course."

"Normally, I'd just have you both shot." She said casually, pausing to take another sip of her drink. "However, seeing that smug bastard Fuego put in his place is worth something."

Eri relaxed visibly.

"You're fired." Aria told him with all the force and grace of an anvil smashing a fluffy little bunny.

His mandibles dropped. "Fired? But …"

"Yes, just fired. Now get out of here before I upgrade you to being fired at."

After standing there with his mouth open for a moment, Eri closed his jaws with an audible snap and left the room.

Once he was gone, Aria rose and approached Finn. "That leaves just you. I almost couldn't believe it when one of my guards told me that Finn Cresste was on my station again."

"I paid my debts, Aria." Finn told her.

"I don't care about the money." She replied impatiently. "I'm angry that you didn't think to mention that you were leaving. What, did you think I wouldn't let you go?"

Finn had no response. Nothing seemed appropriate.

She slowly circled around Finn, saying, "So, what am I to do with you? The Blue Suns would love nothing more than to throw you on a deli-slicer on the lowest setting after the stunt you pulled, and quite frankly, it would be easier in the long run to just give you to them."

"Aria, the Blue Suns are preparing to attack you." Finn told her.

She snorted with obvious derision. "They've tried to dethrone me for the last four-hundred and fifty years, to no success."

"Yeah, but this time they're getting help." Finn sighed, and asked, "How much do you know of why I'm here?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I know that after spending almost five years on a rundown little shithole of a station, you came here with an extremely influential and injured volus. I know you spent some time at a bar with a quarian, and then went on one of the most stupid and reckless things I've ever seen anyone do since I first came to Omega."

Finn nodded, saying, "That's all true, but it's only part of the story. Station J-27 was destroyed. Someone's after us, Aria; they kidnapped my friends and tried to get me, all because of some stupid ship Krieger found while out salvaging."

"Ship?" She asked, interest piqued. "What ship?"

"I don't know; some kind of stealth ship; the registry was blank. I think it was a prototype; it had a fully-functional cloaking device."

This gave Aria pause. "Where is this ship now?"

"I don't know. It was either destroyed or stolen when they attacked Krieger."

"But if it's gone, why are they still after you?"

"I don't know. All I know is that they want us dead or alive, and that they promised to assist the Blue Suns in taking you down when they arrived to pick me and the others up."

Aria fell silent for a long time. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because …" Finn let out a sigh. "Because you were good to me the last time I was here. You had no reason to trust me, yet you gave me a chance when no one else would."

"Then why did you leave?" She asked him.

Finn shook his head, unsure of his own feelings on the matter. "After the Polaski job, the Blue Suns had half of Omega looking for me. Even with your protection, I was bound to get caught; I had to leave."

She looked at him for a long time before finally nodding. "So, now that you've stirred up the hornets nest, you're just going to leave again."

"I'll be honest." Finn confessed. "I have no idea who is after us. I don't know anything, other than they are well-funded, and their soldiers commit suicide rather than be captured. All I know is if they're on the way here, I think it's in everyone's best interest if I were somewhere else."

After mulling over his words for a few moments, she let out a sigh. "Fair enough."

She sat down on her couch again. After reading her datapad for a few moments, she made a shooing motion with her other hand, saying, "Well, get moving! Try not to cause any more trouble on your way out."

"Thank you, Aria." Finn gave her a respectful bow.

As he walked past the armed guards, Aria called out, "Finn!"

"Yes?" He asked, turning back to face her.

For a moment, her face softened. "I'm sorry about J-27."

He stared at her a moment before accepting her sympathy with a nod. "Take care of yourself, Aria."

Afterlife was as rowdy as ever. Finn didn't waste time heading for the exit; he never was a fan of all the crowds and loud music. After navigating through the dancers, drinkers, and waiters, Finn stepped out of Afterlife to find Eri waiting.

"So," Eri said jovially. "I see she didn't shoot your silly ass."

"Yeah, well I've gotten pretty good at dodging." Finn replied with a smirk that faded a moment later. "Listen, man; I'm sorry about-"

Eri waved Finn off, saying, "Bah. I never liked the job anyway. Being one of Aria's little bitches never felt right to me. Don't worry; I'll find something. You heading out?"

"Probably a good idea." Finn replied with a glance back at the glowing neon sign of Afterlife. "Look at how much trouble I've already caused after just a day."

Eri laughed appreciately. "You always had a way of making your presence known. What's the human expression? 'Never a dull moment'?"

"I could use a few dull moments right now." Finn replied. "Life's been too interesting as of late."

"Well, whatever it is you're up to, I'm sure you'll make it out fine. Still, good luck man." Eri told him, extending a hand.

Finn shook his hand, saying, "Thanks. You too, man."

He hadn't gone more than a few paces when he glanced back at his friend to find him still standing there, looking lost.

Feeling a twinge of guilt, Finn called out, "Hey, Eri!"

"Forget something?" The turian asked, raising one of his ridge-plates questioningly as Finn walked back to him.

"Look," Finn told him, "I'm not going to lie to you; me and my friends, we're in some trouble. The kind of trouble that we could use some help dealing with, if you catch my drift. I've got a little extra money that I don't need at the moment … if you're interested, that is."

"Wait a sec," Eri said, holding up a hand to stay Finn further. "Are you offering to hire me?"

"It's only fair." Finn told him, clapping him on the shoulder. "I did just make you lose your last job."

Eri turned around, his eyes sweeping over the Omega skyline as though committing it to memory. After a few moments, he nodded and turned back to Finn, saying, "Well, if you simply can't do without me, then I guess I have no choice but to accept your offer, boss."

"Not your boss." Finn told him, putting his arm around Eri's shoulders as they headed for the lift. "Partners in crime, remember?"

"I'm trying to forget." Eri replied, shaking his head and laughing.

Everyone was waiting in the cargo bay when Eri and Finn boarded the ship.

"Hey, everyone." Finn said, patting Eri on the shoulder, "Seeing as Eri just lost his job, I thought he could come with us."

"Approvingly; another gun is always welcome." Darsan said.

Nodding, Finn said, "Just in case Jake wasn't able to bring you all up to speed, Krieger came out okay, but he's not going to be in any condition to help for the foreseeable future. I tracked down Kyra, but she didn't know anything about what's going on, which effectively leads us back to square one."

"We should go to the Alliance." Mannon said instantly. "Even if we can't figure this out, they should be able to keep us safe."

"Cautiously; perhaps. Who is to say this new organization is not in league with the Alliance."

"You can't believe that." Mannon told Darsan.

"Matter-of-factly; I believe we are being chased. I believe that whoever is chasing us has impressive resources. Respectfully; you may be my friend, Sherle, but you are only an Ensign. If they are secretly behind this, they may not tell you."

"Well, what else is there?" Mannon demanded, her voice shaking. "We can't just run forever! We need to come up with a long-term plan to deal with this, and the Alliance-"

"There's another option." Finn told them. "New Elysia."

"New Elysia?" Jake asked, his tail wagging. "Really? Man, I miss that place."

"It's safer than Ilium and Omega, and crowded enough that we should be able to blend in quickly while we gather some info on what's going on. I've got some contacts that can secure us a safe place to stay for the short-term." Finn was silent for a moment before adding, "It's not my first choice, to be honest, but like Mannon said, we can't keep running forever."

Mannon gave Finn a look that made it clear she wasn't happy, but she nodded in agreement.

"Satisfied; I've always wanted to see New Elysia." Said Darsan. "Come, Eri; I could use some help taking off this armor."

Eri gave me a questioning glance. Finn nodded pointedly at Darsan, the ghost of a smile on his face. Rolling his eyes, Eri followed after Darsan, muttering, "I'm already starting to regret this."

As Finn and Jake headed towards the bridge, Jake asked, "You okay man?"

"Well enough. I hate to say it, but I kinda missed the place."

Laughing, Jake agreed. "Yeah, me too. Maybe we'll come back some day, yeah?"

"Maybe." Finn shook his head and said, "Come on, Jake; let's get this ship moving."


	13. Chapter 13 - Perchance to Dream

_Hey there; it's me again. I just wanted to thank everyone for the tips and reviews. I will be taking your comments into account, particularly about fleshing out the Universe. I agree that the way it felt that more was going on than just what the mains were doing was one of Mass Effect's strengths; I follow a similar philosophy with my Elsewhere Universe books, but that's another matter._

_Shepard's Gender and Love interest do come into play in a minor fashion, though I'm hesitant to say any more at the moment to avoid spoiling anything. Right now, I'm leaning towards a ShepardxTali pairing, but it's not set in stone. I'm essentially trying to write this as another choice-dependant trilogy, and am merely writing the story I want for this first 'playthrough'. If I've still got steam at the end, I could conceivably write another playthrough with Fiona and Cake instead of Finn and Jake, and make different choices along the way. Wouldn't say no to someone else wanting to give it a go either, for that matter._

_In any case, thanks for reading so far, and I hope you enjoy what's to come._

* * *

Chapter 13

**Perchance to Dream**

Once the last crate had been loaded and the final box delivered, the Ulasomorf pulled away from the docking station. In a matter of minutes, Omega was just a blip on their rear sensors. Finn watched as it slowly slid across the screen and eventually vanished.

Yawning, Finn asked Jake, "Could you take the helm for awhile? After everything that's happened today, I could use some sleep."

"Go ahead, bro." Jake told him. "I'll let you know if anything happens."

As he headed for the door, Jake asked, "Oh, by the way; how'd it go with that cute quarian?"

"Goodnight, Jake." Finn said pointedly, not bothering to turn around.

After leaving the bridge, Finn took of the Blue Suns armor and unceremoniously tossed it piece by piece behind him. He hated body armor, and would rather have a good shield emitter over plating any day.

As he struggled to tug off the last boot, Ensign Mannon stepped out from an adjoining corridor.

"Making yourself at home?" She asked, putting a hands on her hips.

"Bah." He muttered, still struggling. "I'll pick it up later. It is my ship now, after all."

With a sigh, she shooed his hands away and grabbed the boot by the toe and heel. After a few hearty tugs, she managed to yank the boot free.

"Thanks." He told her, taking the boot. "I'm glad to be out of that crap."

Dropping the boot right in front of her seemed rude, so he continued heading to the cargo bay. To his surprise, Mannon followed him.

"You don't have to thank me." He told her. "I don't have enough friends to start leaving them behind."

"It's not that." She blushed, quickly adding, "Not that I'm not grateful; I am. I was just wondering if I could ask you something."

Finn shrugged, saying, "Shoot."

"Finn," She asked hesitantly. "Why are you avoiding Earth?"

"It's on the other side of the galaxy. Waste of time going there if we don't need to." He said a lot more breezily than he felt. He paused a moment before asking, "That reminds me; did you get in contact with the Alliance?"

"I did. I asked for help, but apparently there's some problem with the krogans that has everyone on edge."

"What kind of problem?" Finn asked, a bit alarmed. People were still talking about the disaster known as the Krogan Rebellions.

"They wouldn't say." Mannon told him. "They offered protection, but we'll have to go to Earth."

"Figures." Finn muttered. He tried to move around Mannon, but she quickly cut in front of him again.

"Look, I know you don't like the Alliance, but-"

"I don't have a problem with the Alliance." He told her truthfully.

She was surprised by his answer. "You … you don't?"

He shook his head. "Sure, there are a few bad apples, but overall, the Alliance are good people. Overbearing, sometimes, but well-intentioned."

"Then why do you refuse to go there?"

Finn was silent for a moment before asking, "Why were you on J-27?"

"Huh?"

"Why were you on J-27?" Finn repeated. "That shot you made in Fuego's library was one in a million … nice work, by the way. You're skilled with a rifle, you're quick on your feet, and you're good with the comm systems. You'd probably make a good officer back on Earth. Why were you posted to J-27?"

She blushed, but didn't respond.

Nodding, Finn told her, "When you tell me, I'll tell you."

As he walked away, a feeling of guilt overtook him. Sighing, he said, "If we don't find what we're looking for in New Elysia, we'll go to the Alliance. Okay?"

"Okay." She replied, her voice quiet. Bowing her head, she started walking towards the bridge.

Once she was gone, Finn threw the boot across the cargo bay. He was being unreasonable; he knew it as well as she did, and for some reason that annoyed him.

"Like I didn't have enough on my mind." He muttered as he entered the lift.

He jabbed the fourth floor button with prejudice and leaned against the back of the lift as it started its ascent. His mind drifted to his past, always an unpleasant place to dwell. Unfortunately, he seemed to have little choice but to revisit it.

"Just another reason to hit whoever's responsible for this mess." He muttered.

The lift doors opened on the fourth floor to reveal a surprising number of packages. Darsan and Eri were opening the boxes, the latter sitting in a chintzy-looking couch that now occupied the middle of the room.

Darsan glanced at Finn. "Surprised; ah, Finn! We were just talking about you."

"Hey Darsan." Finn said, giving the elcor a friendly wave. "Decided to redecorate, huh?"

"Cheerily; since we're likely to be here awhile, I thought the place could use some more color, don't you think? Besides, not all of us can sleep on a human bed. Don't worry; I'll only charge you at cost for the furniture."

"Much appreciated." Finn replied, not doubting for a second that Darsan meant it. "I owe you anyway for the save. I still can't believe you went out and bought all of that gear."

"Well, it was on sale." Darsan said, pointedly looking away.

Finn grinned as the elcor busied himself with an extremely fake-looking potted plant.

Shaking his head, Finn turned to Eri. "So, how you settling in?"

"Well enough. I had my stuff shipped here before we departed. I hope you don't mind, but we already took the liberty of marking our doors."

Glancing around, Finn spotted a door with Eri's family crest and another that simply read "J-27 or Bust". "Good idea. Might as well be comfortable while we're running for our lives."

"Importantly; speaking of which; I took the liberty of filling the pantry. I can't choke down those omni-bars."

Eri shrugged, saying, "I guess that's what I'll be eating."

"Cheerily; don't worry, Eri; I picked up a few dextro-provisions."

Finn gave him a curious look. "Why? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you did, but how could you know we'd need some?"

"Just a hunch." To Finn's surprise, Darsan gave him a wink.

"A hunch?" Finn repeated, not bothering to hide his disbelief.

"Yes. It was just a hunch. Always be prepared, isn't that what humans say? Faking alarm; speaking of which, I believe I left something on the stove."

Finn watched Darsan stomp over to the lift. As the doors closed, he commented flatly, "Gee, I wonder if Darsan's hiding something."

"What, you don't believe he's really cooking something?" Chuckling, Eri grabbed a dufflebag that was lying next to him on the couch, saying, "I'm going to go unpack before I check out the weapon systems on this junker. You need me for anything?"

"Nah, I'm heading to bed myself."

Nodding, Eri said, "Goodnight, man."

As Eri started to walk away, Finn thought back to his conversation with Fuego Massani. Coughing, he asked aloud, "We're good, right?"

"Huh?"

"After the Polaski job … we're still friends, right?"

"Of course." Eri replied, giving Finn an odd look. "Are you okay?"

Finn was silent as he contemplated what, if anything, he had to say. Eventually, he just shook his head, saying, "Nothing. I'm just tired."

To his surprise, Eri walked over to him and gave him a reassuring pat on the back. "Get some sleep, man. If we're really in as much trouble as you say, we're going to need those fancy brains working right."

Finn couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Thanks, Eri. Hold down the fort, okay?"

"You got it." With that, Eri took his box and disappeared behind the door to his room.

Finn started to go into the same room he had previously used, but stopped when he realized that he was the captain now. With a sigh, he walked into Krieger's quarters.

Almost immediately, he noticed the bed was all rumpled up.

"And she was getting on my case about the armor. Well, she can go find another room."

Aside from the state of the bed, the room looked unused. Krieger had spared no expense either; the cabin came equipped with full environmental and atmospheric controls, a full-size private bathroom, an autowash capable of holding and cleaning several sets of clothes, and nice fluffy carpet. Finn was a bit curious as to why the bed was his size. He wondered if Krieger ever actually used it; the bed was certainly larger than a volus would need.

"Eh. Maybe he expected company." Finn considered the thought of Krieger as a ladies man for a moment before shaking his head and chuckling to himself.

After a nice shower in the bathroom (my private bathroom, Finn reminded himself), Finn set his clothes in the autowash and slid under the covers.

"Self-heating bed." He murmured as he drifted off to sleep. "How nice."

* * *

"Slipstream, can you read me?"

Finn jerked awake in the cockpit of his Tyrael starfighter. It was a basic design; a control pod and a heavily shielded eezo core nestled between three wings that were roughly three times the length of the entire craft. They weren't scheduled to fly today, but that was part of the fun.

Stifling a yawn, he quickly said, "Slipstream reporting in. Is that you, Sergeant Rico?"

A long-suffering sigh answered him. "Yes, it's me. I thought you'd like to know we're nearing our destination."

"Excellent!" Finn said, grinning despite the fact that no one could see him. "You both ready to give 'em a show?"

A far less confident voice stammered, "I dunno, Slipstream. Maybe this isn't such a good idea."

"Come on, Kat. You wanted to show these losers up more than I did." Finn told her. "What are you worried about?"

"What if we get caught?" She replied. "We could get thrown out of the Acadamy."

"Relax, Katt." Replied Sergeant Rico. "We've done this dozens of times. We'll fly the stupid race, Slipstream will win, he'll gloat for about fifteen minutes, and we'll go home."

Finn chuckled. "That's right. Cheer up; I'll buy us a round of drinks when we get back to the Acadamy."

Rico snorted. "You're sixteen, Slipstream. All the fake beards in the world aren't going to convince a bartender your babyface is old enough to drink."

"Leave that to me." Finn replied.

As Finn brought his fighter out of FTL, three blips appeared on his sensors.

"Well! If it isn't Slipstream! About time your lazy ass made it." Said a good-natured voice.

"Wanted you to feel special for a change, Greg." Finn quipped back as Kat and Sergeant Rico took up position on either side of him.

Greg laughed through the intercom. "You boys ready to get left in the dust?"

Finn grinned, his fingers twitching in anticipation. "You wanna talk, or race?"

"All right then; first to reach asteroid J-27 wins. Ready?"

A momentary wave of confusion passed over him. Hadn't he heard that designation before somewhere?

"Slipstream? Hello, Slipstream!"

Finn shook his head. "Yeah. I'm ready."

"Then on the count of three! One! Two! Three!"

Finn was gone in a flash; his ship zoomed into the lead as the other five starfighters raced to catch up.

The asteroids were too few and far between to really play a factor; the real point of the race was to see who was a better streamer. His grin widening, Finn activated his FTL drive.

* * *

Finn awoke, feeling strangely warm. He lay there in silence, staring up at the darkened ceiling of his room as the last fragments of his dream slowly faded away.

"It was another lifetime ago." He said aloud. The ceiling didn't answer.

He was just starting to drift back to sleep when he felt something touch across his bare chest. Finn looked down to see a pale arm slide across his chest, the three fingers of the attached hand holding his side gently as something very warm snuggled against him.

"I really hope that's not you, Darsan." He whispered.

Whoever it was hugged him closer, feminine curves pressing against his side. A strangely sweet scent passed his nostrils as her breath fell on his cheek. Ever so slowly, he turned his head. a pale maroon-tinged face was resting on his shoulder, her eyes closed and her expression peaceful.

"Kyra?"


	14. Chapter 14 - A Tumble through Space

Chapter 14

**A Tumble through the Stars**

Minutes continued to pass as Finn stared at Kyra's sleeping face. To say he was utterly and completely bewildered by this change would be a massive understatement.

What was she doing there? How did she get on board? How did no one realize she was there until now?

His eyes narrowed as his last conversation with Darsan popped back up in his mind. He must've seen her onboard at some point, maybe after Aria had sent him away or when he escaped from the Blue Suns or something. Jake must've told him about their 'date'; Jake was all about loyalty, but he couldn't keep a secret to save his life.

His mind racing, he considered what he to do. Wake her up? No, that was a bad idea; he was naked, and from the feel of her skin against his, she was unclothed as well. His best bet was to try and slip away. As gently and carefully as he could manage, he lifted her arm and moved it off of his chest and slowly started to move to the side of the bed.

He could deal with the situation a lot better once they were both awake and clothed. In the meantime, he would get to the bridge, explain the situation to Jake, and start heading back to Omega to drop her off.

That was the plan. Unfortunately, when he tried to step out of the bed, he discovered his legs were tangled in the sheets and promptly fell to the floor with a loud thump, upsetting the nightstand on his side in the process.

Kyra awoke with a loud groan. She pushed herself up, letting the blanket fall to her waist as she brought a hand to her head and muttered, "Ugh … that's it. From now on, no more booze."

Her eyes flew open when she noticed Finn struggling to stand up. They both froze and stared at each other for a long moment, their gaze the only thing between them. Finn found it especially difficult to keep his eyes from wandering over her athletic frame.

With a yelp and a shriek, Finn and Kyra both grabbed the nearest blanket and tried to cover themselves, Kyra stumbling over the other side of the bed in the process. Unfortunately, the y both grabbed a different side of the same blanket.

They stood there, each trying to cover themselves with their respective bit of the blanket, their faces a match in terms of how red they were getting.

"What are you doing here?" Kyra demanded, clutching the blanket over her chest.

"Me?" Finn said incredulously. "This is my ship! What are you doing here?"

"Your ship? I helped build the damn thing!"

"So you just sneak aboard without even asking?"

"Hey, don't get mad at me! You're the one who climbed into my bed!"

"How was I supposed to know that …" Finn stopped as the absurdity of the situation overcame him. The questioning stare Kyra gave him when he stopped talking just made it worse.

He started laughing. Kyra gave him a mystified look before she must've realized the same thing and started giggling with him. There was a palpable sense of relief in the room as they shared a laugh at their own expense.

As they stopped laughing with a combined sigh, an uncomfortable silence filled the room.

"Um …" Kyra began, sounding embarrassed. "Maybe we should continue this discussion after we get dressed."

"Yeah." Finn agreed, his cheeks burning as he relinquished his hold on the blanket and grabbed a different one. She covered her eyes as he hurried over to the autowash and pulled out his now-clean clothes. As soon as he had his pants on, he told her, "I'm gonna … er … go."

She nodded, her fingers parting slightly to reveal her bright eyes as he left the room.

After hurriedly throwing on his shirt and jacked, Finn stared around the common room; Darsan and Eri had finished unpacking; now the room was like a regular lounge. The furniture was a bit mismatched and the paintings ranged from boring to plain weird, but Finn had to agree that it gave the room a lot more personality.

Hearing the door to the Captain's Room slide open, Finn turned to see Kyra in the same sleeveless shirt and work pants she had been wearing when they met.

"Hi." She said awkwardly as she wrapped a blue silk strip around her shoulders and body. Once she finished, she asked, "Um, could you tie it for me? Normally, I have Becca do it, but I'm guessing that's not gonna be an option."

"Of course." Finn told her. She turned around and slipped the ends under her elbows.

"Not too tight." She told him, pulling her long hair over her shoulder so it wasn't in the way.

Finn nodded and tied the silk straps behind her in a small bow. Feeling that perhaps that was a bit silly, he moved to untie the bow and try something less showy, but she turned around before he could reach it.

"Whoa there, Finn!" She said, a teasing edge in her voice. "Just 'cause I was naked in bed with you doesn't mean you get to touch."

He blushed and pulled his hands back. "I was just-"

She laughed and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm kidding Finn. But seriously, touch me without permission, and you're going to lose a hand."

The alarm must've shown on his face, because she started laughing immediately. "You really get flustered easily, don't you?"

His cheeks burning, Finn said, "Well, it's not every morning I wake up in the arms of a pretty woman. Seriously, what are you doing here? I thought you were going back to your apartment yesterday."

"I was." She told him, idly braiding her hair. "But then I remembered that the Ulasomorf was at Dock 12, and I thought I'd take a last look before you leave Omega. Everything after that's a bit hazy."

"Are you okay?" He asked her. "Is the hangover still bad?"

She waved him off, saying, "Bah. It's not the first time I've awoken with a headache. Not the first time I woke up in a strange place, either. It is the first time I woke up naked, though."

Finn wasn't quite sure what to say about that. Fortunately, at that moment, something made the ship shudder.

Steadying herself on the couch, Kyra demanded, "What was that?"

"I dunno." Finn told her truthfully. "Come on; we need to get to the bridge."

They rode the lift down to the first deck and hurried to the bridge, where Jake and Mannon were manning the helm. Eri was at the weapons console, frantically tapping at the controls.

"Finn!" Mannon called out. Her eyes widened when she saw Kyra behind him. "Who …"

"Mannon, Kyra. Kyra, Mannon." Finn said quickly. "What's going on?"

Eri shook his head, saying, "Five bogeys closing in behind us. I'm detecting more on the way."

"They're moving fast!" Jake called out as another blast hit the ship. "We can't outrun them."

"Maybe you can show me that Streaming thing you told me about." Mannon said, flashing him a glance.

Jake hopped aside so that Finn could take the controls, only for the ship to suddenly fall out of FTL.

"What the …" Finn muttered, trying to find the problem. "The FTL drive is down."

"On it!" Kyra was gone in a flash. Finn could've sworn that for a moment, there was a look of delight on her face.

Shaking his head, he stood up from the controls, saying, "We're sitting ducks. Jake, you're piloting."

"Whoa!" Jake interrupted, blocking Finn's path, "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"We can't just keep taking fire." Finn gestured towards the cargo bay, saying, "We've got a perfectly good fighter stored away back there. Might as well use it."

"But that's just one fighter! There are five of them out there!"

"Six!" Mannon told us.

"Good. That means they have a fair chance." Without another word, Finn leapt over Jake and ran from the bridge. Mannon and Eri called after him, but there wasn't time for a conversation.

Finn rushed into the cargo bay and climbed onto the side of the Gradisian. As he started to open the cockpit, his eyes caught on something in the back of the cargo bay; his boot hovering in midair.

Realization hit him with a wave of horror, followed by a surge of excitement. Slamming the Gradisian's cockpit door, he rushed across the bay to the floating boot. Activating his omni-tool, it didn't take him long to find the ship's cloaking program and deactivate it. A shimmer ran through the air as the mysterious spaceship Krieger had discovered rematerialized.

He stared at it until another blast shook the ship. Shaking his head, he muttered, "I'll worry about it later. Right now, there's work to do."

As soon as he sat in the seat, the controls of the sleek vessel burst to life around him. He quickly closed the door and strapped himself in, saying, "I'd say this evens the odds a bit."

Once he was secure, he opened a secure line to the bridge, saying, "Jake, you there?"

"Yeah. Listen, man; if you're gonna do this, you need to get moving."

"I'm heading out now. Tell Eri to mark my ship's signature so that he doesn't shoot me outta the sky."

"Your new ship's signature? When did you get a new ship?"

"I'll tell you about it when I get back. Launching now!"

A containment screen activated as the cargo bays opened. With Finn at the helm, the prototype ship soon zoomed out of the hold and into the dark reaches of space.

The ship handled like a dream, even better than the Gradisian. At his slightest touch, it twisted and turned with a speed and precision that he had never experienced before in a space craft.

It didn't take long for the five fighters to converge on him. He wasn't surprised when his scans on the vessels were inconclusive.

To his surprise, one of the ships requested communications. Intrigued, he opened the channel and said, "How can I direct your call?"

"Surrender your vessels and prepare to be boarded."

"And to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking? The Blue Suns? Slavers? My student loan director?"

A shot fired past Finn's right wing.

"Surrender, or we will blast you out of the sky."

"All right." Finn replied with a grin. "Enough talk; let's dance!"

The six fighters were in a tight formation, at least until Finn blasted through them, missing the closest by mere inches. The formation crumbled as they moved to spread out, two of the ships crashing into each other during the process.

"Two down, three to go!" Finn shouted.

"Pat yourself on the back later, Finn!" Eri said through the intercom. "Don't forget, there are more on the way!"

"Good!" Finn said, his eyes on the three blips currently on his scanners. "Wouldn't want this to be too easy."

The three remaining ships spread out, attempting to flank Finn on either side. One thing they didn't count on, however, was for the ship they were chasing to suddenly vanish. They spread out immediately, no doubt checking their scanners to see where he had gone.

"Finn? Finn!" Jake's worried voice called out from the comm. "Tell me you aren't dead!"

Rolling his eyes, Finn said, "Yes, Jake; I'm dead. Now stop talking; you're gonna make me give away my position."

Finn lined up behind one of the fighters. He ghosted the ship for a short while, curious to see just how close he could get. Pretty damn close, it seems; he drew so close to the fighter that he could see a patch that had recently been welded onto some of the back plating of the ship.

"Right. Fun's over." Finn said as he readied the weapon systems, "This is for Krieger and J-27, asshole."

A burst of light fired from Finn's twin cannons and blasted through the ship like it wasn't even there. As the wings continued flying forward no longer attached to anything, Finn pulled up and started towards the next ship.

He didn't wait so long to shoot this time; once the targeting computer said he was in range, he fired. The blast hit the ship on the wing, shearing it neatly from the ship's body and sending the vessel spinning forward from the thrust of its one remaining thruster.

"Huh." Finn commented to himself. "Guess it loses some power over distance."

The ship started firing wildly in his direction as it continued to spin, one shot coming uncomfortably close. Finn quickly spun away and finished off the ship with another shot.

A bit annoyed at himself, he quickly drew a bead on the last fighter. By that time, however, the final fighter was on its guard; it managed to avoid the shot by a hair and quickly turned in Finn's direction.

Still, it wasn't like it could see him; Finn easily dodged the fighter's shots and quickly moved in for the kill. It swerved and ducked around randomly, but Finn managed to peg it as it tried to flip around behind him. As its remains floated past his ship, he said, "Five down! How far away are their reinforcements?"

A shot hit his shields, shaking the ship slightly.

Shaking his head, he muttered, "Nevermind."

There were three of them, same kind as the previous five. They were spread out as they approached, likely because their sensors recorded the deaths of their comrades just as well as Finns. Unfortunately for them, Finn was still invisible.

Just as he started to edge forward, an alarm siren sounded from the console that controlled the engine. As Finn scanned the readout, he muttered, "Crap."

Like any normal ship, the mysterious craft could only take so much heat before there was a problem. Running the cloak for so long and pushing the engines had produced quite a figurative inferno under the ship's hood, which was now in danger of overloading the ship's systems.

An idea formed in his head. Grinning, he muttered, "Okay then. Let's vent the heat."

He deactivated the cloaking device and gunned it past the center starfighter. Almost instantly, the three remaining ships gave chase.

A few shots bounced off of his shields, but he remained calm. He had to put on a good show, or his plan wouldn't work.

After a few shots hit his aft shielding, he dropped speed. Keeping careful control on the thrust, he started feigning an engine problem.

The ships drew closer, preparing to finish him off. For a moment, he was worried that they might flank him, but apparently they thought they had him right where they wanted him.

"We'll see about that." He said with a grin, hitting the purge button on the engine controls.

A blast of coolant sprayed from the engines, catching all three of the starfighters in a superheated spray. To Finn's shock, the coolant started melting through the ships.

He glanced at the heat distribution monitor, muttering, "Just how much heat does this thing put off anyway?"

To their credit, the enemy pilots tried to veer away. It didn't matter though; Finn's scanners detected that the cockpits were breached. Sure enough, the thrusters on the enemy ships soon deactivated, the ships themselves drifting away on their momentum.

For some reason, Finn felt a little disturbed by their deaths. The idea of losing atmosphere and dying of asphyxiation was unsettling to him.

"Finn!" Said an excited voice Finn recognized as belonging to Kyra, "I've got the core fixed!"

"Awesome! Eri, how much time before the next wave gets here?"

"About five minutes."

"It's gonna be close then." He muttered.

Thrusters blazing, he shot back towards the Ulasomorf.


	15. Chapter 15 - United We Flee

Chapter 15

**United We Flee**

Finn hurried onto the bridge.

Eri glanced at him, saying, "If you're gonna do something, do it fast; we've got a minute before they get here."

"Plenty of time. Jake?"

"You got it, bro." Jake hopped off of the pilot chair so Finn could sit down.

"All right." Finn told them as he warmed up the FTL drive. "Everyone hold on; this might get a bit bumpy."

He forced his eyes to remain open as the stars leapt towards him. As his vision began to blur, he started to see the edges of the field. Instinct overtook thought as he moved the ship as close to the front of the field as he dared before collapsing the mass effect field.

The ship lurched forward, but Finn didn't notice; the light flying past the ship was mesmerizing. He could almost imagine following the threads through the universe to the very core.

He caught himself before he was completely lost in the stars. Blinking, he quickly reversed engines. As the ship began to slow, he let out a sigh and sank back into his chair.

After a few moments, he glanced over at Mannon and Eri to see them both staring at him.

"I'm fine." He told them tiredly. "I just need to rest for-"

At that moment, Kyra stomped onto the bridge. She did not look happy.

"Great job on the engine." Finn told her.

She stomped over to him and promptly bopped him in the head with her clenched fist.

"Oww!" Finn said in surprise; it didn't really hurt, but it sure surprised the heck out of him. "What was that for?"

"For streaming, you bosh'tet! Don't you know what that does to an engine?"

"Yes," Eri said dryly. "The danger to the engine was the paramount factor here."

She glared at the turian, but didn't say anything to him. Turning back to Finn, she said, "Do you even know where we are? We could've shot through a sun, or passed too close to a supernova!"

"Or we could've stayed where we were and got shot into a million flaming pieces by the people who are chasing us." Finn said evenly.

"I appreciate that, but it wouldn't mean much if your stunt completely burned out the engine and left us adrift in the middle of nowhere!" She pointed a finger at him in what she must've thought was a menacing fashion, adding, "Don't do it again."

As she stomped away, Eri gave Finn a curious look.

"Don't start." Finn warned.

Eri held up his hands innocently and turned back to the weapons console.

Sighing, Finn asked Mannon, "Where are we?"

She checked her console before saying, "Looks like you cut off a few days from our trip."

Nodding, Finn said, "Okay. I'm calling a meeting in the cargo bay. There's something everyone needs to see."

As Finn walked into the cargo bay with Eri, Mannon, and Jake behind him, the first thing he noticed was Kyra sitting in the pilot seat of the mysterious fighter.

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Really?"

"Hmm?" She asked, obviously far more interested in the workings of the craft than conversation.

Rolling his eyes, he turned to the others, saying, "We'll wait until …"

The lift opened revealing Darsan in what appeared to be a terrycloth robe covered with embroidered roses and a pink showercap.

It took Finn and the rest of the group a few moments to process this. Even Kyra stopped tinkering long enough to give him a good long stare.

Darsan shuffled his feet. "Annoyed; I was taking a bath. This had better be good, Finn."

"Anyway," Finn said, trying to ignore the tittering from Kyra and Mannon, "Now that we're all here …"

He stopped, realizing he didn't really have a good way to say it. Sighing, he just pointed at the ship.

"Hey!" Jake said, running up to the ship excitedly. "That's that weird ship Krieger found!"

Eri let out a whistle. "Sleek stuff. Where'd you get it? I coulda sworn there was only one ship here earlier."

"Oh, it was here, all right." Finn approached the ship and poked his head in the door.

Kyra barely looked up long enough to flash him an innocent smile. "Hi, Finn."

"Could you get out for just a second? This is kinda important."

"I can work and talk at the same time. Keep going." She made a shooing motion with one pale hand.

Glowering at her, he stepped back and slammed the door shut. Ignoring her pounding on the door, Finn activated his Omni-tool. "Watch this."

He waved his omni-tool hand over the ship, which promptly vanished.

Everyone stepped back.

"Total cloaking technology." Mannon said, her eyes wide. "This is a major discovery; we've only been able to hide emissions before now. The Alliance could use this for scout vessels, or …"

"Preemptive attacks?" Eri suggested.

Mannon glared at him. "It's not like we'd try to conquer the galaxy."

"Deadpan; that is reassuring."

"I can't not tell the Alliance about this." Mannon said, looking at Finn. "Think about it; we could build colonies that could cloak themselves from danger, satellites and space stations that could remain completely undetected."

"Go ahead and tell them." Finn said, leaning back against the door to keep Kyra from getting out. "It doesn't change our plans."

"Jimmy …" Mannon began.

"We still don't know who's chasing us, though I think it's pretty clear why." Finn glanced around the room.

Eri stared at the craft. "So whoever made this is intent on keeping it secret. They must've had impressive resources to design something like this."

"Tentatively; maybe we could just leave it somewhere to get them to stop chasing us." Darsan suggested.

"No!" Mannon said, the loudness of her shout startling everyone.

"That's right!" Jake said, sitting down by Finn's feet. "This is our secret prototype spaceship!"

"That's not what I meant!" Mannon told him angrily. "It's going to the Alliance!"

Eri interrupted, "This isn't an Alliance ship. It's Finn's ship. It seems to me as the captain, he should have some say in the decision."

Mannon opened her mouth to argue and quickly closed it. Turning to Finn, she said, "I didn't mean any disrespect, Finn."

Finn frowned at her subdued tone. Yes, he was captain, but Mannon was his friend. Heck, Eri and Mannon were his friends. Even Kyra, who was still banging fruitlessly on the door behind him was kinda his friend.

"Don't worry about it." He assured her. "We're all in this together, so I want to hear what you all think."

"In that case, perhaps we should consider

"Intruiged; that is certainly a possibility." Darsan said, a metaphorical gleam in his eye. "Reasonably; if we're getting rid of it, we might as well get some credits out of it."

Mannon quickly said, "The Alliance will match any offer you get, I'm sure of it."

"Oh, sure." Jake said, the cartoon dog face on his screen rolling its eyes. "Just give up the super-awesome top-secret space ship. Come on, man, we should just keep it! I mean, look how quickly you took out those idiots following us!"

"Pointedly; what do you think, Finn?" Darsan asked.

Finn tried his best not to laugh as he looked at Darsan. It didn't help that the elcor had a shower cap over his bald dome of a head and a rubber duck tucked away in his robe pocket.

He sighed and said, "I don't think it matters if we get rid of it at this point. They know we have it, and they know this ship. The best we can do is get this ship's transponders changed, and hope to whatever god is listening that they don't find us again. For the moment, we might as well keep her."

"Him!" Darsan patted the ship, saying, "His name is Billy."

Finn stared at Jake. "What?"

Ignoring him, Jake rubbed against the ship's plating, whispering, "I love you, Billy."

Finn rubbed his eyes; it was bad enough that insanity was following him at every step. Now, it was starting to spread to his crew.

"Once we're sure we're in the clear, we'll reevaluate the situation." Finn said, his eyes on Mannon.

"Thank you, Captain." She said, bowing her head slightly.

Finn let out a sigh. "Okay, if this is my ship, then we're going by my rules. Rule number one, no one calls me captain. Ever. I'm the same Finn I was when I patched the sewage line back on J-27."

"Now that's a lovely image." Eri said, shaking his head.

Mannon relaxed a little, saying, "You're right. Sorry. It's just …"

"… the training, I know." Glancing around the room, he said, "No matter what happens, we're all in this together. That goes for all of us from J-27 and our newer crew members. We'll get through this, I promise."

About a minute passed as everyone seemed to be waiting for him to say something else. He looked at them a moment before saying, "Okay, meeting's over. Go do … whatever."

"Hopeful; maybe my water's still warm." Darsan said as he lumbered back to the lift.

Jake finally broke away from Billy, saying, "Want me on the bridge?"

"Only if Billy doesn't mind." Finn replied sarcastically.

"Oh, he doesn't, I'm sure. He knows you're doing what's best for the crew."

As Jake walked away with Ensign Mannon, Finn shook his head and muttered, "That was creepy."

Once they were gone, Eri commented, "Great speech, Captain. Really rallied the troops."

Finn scowled at Eri as the turian followed after Jake and Mannon.

Still leaning against the ship, he found his gaze wandering skyward to the stars he couldn't really see. He never would've thought it, but he was beginning to miss the humdrum life of a repairman. Life was just too damn complicated wandering around the galaxy.

Shaking his head, he pushed himself off of the door. Opening the door, he leaned in and said, "Comfy?"

Kyra's arms were crossed. Her face could've served as a mask for the word 'pout'.

"You look adorable." Finn blushed when he realized he said that particular thought aloud.

She tried hard not to smile, but the blush on her cheeks made her feelings clear.

There was a long moment where they stared pointedly at anything that wasn't each other.

Coughing, Finn said, "Listen, we can have you back to Omega …"

"Back to Omega?" She interrupted, sounding alarmed. "Why would you bring me back to Omega?"

"Because you aren't a part of this." He told her, a little taken aback. "People are trying to kill us, not you. You don't deserve to be in danger because of an accident."

"Isn't that how you all got roped into this?" She asked him pointedly. "I can't imagine you went out on top secret missions."

"Oh?" Finn asked her, raising an eyebrow. "And how do you know I'm not a spy?"

She tilted her head to the side slightly, an odd smile on her face. "You're too nice. I've seen a few 'covert' agents while I was working at the Rigger's Folly. There's something … dark about them. You don't seem like that at all."

"I'm not really that nice." He told her, moving aside so she could leave the ship.

She held out her hand for his help. He took it and helped her out of the ship without thinking about it.

"Yes you are. See?" She gave him a peck on the cheek and cheerily walked over to the lift. "I'm gonna be in the engine room looking at the data I got from the ship. Talk to you later?"

"Uh, sure."

She gave him one final cheery smile before she stepped into the lift.

Once she was gone, Finn looked back at the ship. His reflection stared back at him from the glossy black plating, his cheeks quite noticeably red.

He scowled and walked away, muttering, "Traitor."


	16. Chapter 16 - New Elysia

Chapter 16

**New Elysia**

Finn always thought it amazing how new systems were constantly being discovered. When you're looking at a star map, it's easy to think of everything having been charted and mapped ages ago. When it really comes down to it though, space is, as one man once put it, very big.

A majority of systems get ignored as being insignificant at first glance, only for places of interest and utility to be discovered later by more adventurous spirits. A good example of this are the Minax and Mondane systems near J-27, but arguable the most well known is the Zelazny System.

There wasn't really much to the system; three planets, two of which were little more than glorified hunks of rock drifting in space. The third world, named Neukara, was a lush world practically covered with trees and plant life. What mystified the first surveyors, however, was the distinct lack of animal life. On a world with so much natural growth, it seemed impossible. It wasn't the settlement that would one day bloom into New Elysia that they discovered the truth.

They emerged from the trees in pairs, some flying like birds, others tunneling through the earth like moles, and some walking on land. It was immediately obvious why no one had realized they were there; every species of the native Neukaraans from the the flying glin and the six-legged trusk, to even the humanoid scaal were in actuality plantlife.

The composition of each subset was different, though the similarities were obvious: bark-like skin coloring, leaf or moss growth that acted as hair or feathers, and even the amazing ability to regenerate lost limbs.

It was extremely fortunate for the early colonists that the Neukaraans were peaceful. They had observed the newcomers closely for a long time before making their presence known. They didn't mind the visitors from other worlds; it delighted them, in fact. They only raised objections to the clearing out of wildlife to make room for the colony. They tended the trees with great respect, and asked the colonists to do the same.

The original colony's founders decided against starting a war against the peaceful plant folk. A good move, it turned out; while their technological level was pre-industrial, the Neukaraans numbered in the millions and could attack from beneath the ground and through the air. Even the trees of the world could react to threats, swatting fighter ships out of the sky as more than one group of bandits discovered.

The colony continued to grow and prosper with the Neukaraan's help until it became the paradise known as New Elysia. Nowhere in the galaxy was there a place that better served as a perfect melding of steel, stone, glass, and living wood.

Trees carefully tended formed natural benches with their roots, some even providing fruit on their lower branches. While there were some metal walkways, particularly in the older parts of the colonies, construction had carefully been done around bushes and trees, giving the entire place a very organic and peaceful feel. Since Neukarran days were forty-seven hours long, most of the lighting in the city came from solar-powered battery cells cleverly designed and placed so that they were neigh invisible to the untrained eye. There were still skyscrapers, but it was not uncommon to see ivies trailing down the entire lengths of the great buildings.

As Finn and his crew walked out of the docking bay and into the city proper, they were met by two of the scaal holding hands. If it weren't for their solid blue eyes and the leaves that accentuated the woman's pale green hair, they would've passed as dark-skinned humans.

"Welcome to New Elysia, friends." The woman told them while the man nodded, smiling. "To you who hail from the dark sea, we give our gratitude and thanks."

They each held out their free hand.

Finn placed his hands on top of theirs, saying respectfully, "May our meeting bring warmth and light to this world."

The scaal both smiled at him as a thin coil of ivy grew over his hands.

Darsan shuffled his feet. "Alarmed; Finn?"

"Relax." He told them as the ivy extended down his arms, squeezing him ever so slightly. After a few moments, the ivies retreated back into the hands of the scaal.

"Finn Cresste." The man said kindly. "It is good to see you again."

"And you too, Jake." The woman added, her voice continuing naturally from the man's statement. "There has been much growth since you last left our warmth."

They approached Kyra next and extended their hands. With a glance at Finn, she placed her hands over theirs. The ivies grew over her briefly before returning.

"Welcome to New Elysia, daughter of Rannoch." The man said.

Once again, the woman seemed to continue speaking. "May your ancestors watch over you during your stay. Keelah Se'lai."

"T-thanks." She stammered, her eyes wide.

They continued down the line, joining hands briefly with everyone except Darsan, who they simply touched on either shoulder.

Once the introductions were out of the way, they stood in front of Finn once again.

"If there is any way we could be of assistance …" the man began, only for the woman to finish, "We would be glad for the chance to help."

"I appreciate it." Finn told them, "Can you tell me if Godot is still running a repair shop in the Piscen Quarter?"

They glanced at each other for a moment before replying, "Indeed. Do you require directions?"

"Not necessary." He told them, not unkindly. "I remember the way."

The scaal bowed their heads respectfully. "Then we wish you and your companions a good day. Once again, welcome to our world."

As the scaal approached the next group of new arrivals, Kyra whispered, "That was …"

"I know." Finn replied when she didn't finish. "The Neukaraans are an amazing people."

He motioned for his friends to follow as he started walking. Kyra quickly skipped to his side.

"I've never even heard of the Neukaraans before. Why do they talk like that?"

"You mean the whole finishing each other's sentences thing?" Finn asked her. Seeing her nod, he told her, "Every Neukaraan is joined with another from birth."

"You mean like a mate?" She asked curiously.

"Not necessarily, though that does happen. Gender isn't really the same for them as it is for us."

"Oh!" She exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "Like the asari."

Finn shook his head. "Not really. The asari are mono-gendered. They're essentially female, yes, but there's no such thing as a male asari, at least not without some outside tampering. Neukaraans have definite genders, but it's mostly a visual thing; any pairing can produce a seed. I'm not sure how the pair-bonding thing works, but they live together their whole lives."

Seeing her confused look, he sighed and said, "I'm not doing a good job explaining this, am I?"

"It's a bit confusing." She admitted.

Mannon nodded her head in agreement. "So what happens if one side of the pairing doesn't like the other side?"

Finn paused for a moment, considering how he needed to word his answer. "I think you're getting the wrong idea here; they are joined from birth. You may see them as a pair, but after experiencing everything together, they are literally of one mind. When gender pairs are the same, it's more often than not like the relationship between close siblings or good friends. When the genders are different, it usually ends up like a more pronounced version of a loving couple."

"Which is why they can finish each other's sentences." Kyra nodded, a grin on her face. "I think I get it now. It's kinda sweet, really."

Turning to the others, he said, "Okay, everyone; New Elysia is pretty safe, so we shouldn't have to worry about any more surprises for the moment. Let's meet up …"

He glanced around for a landmark and spotted the massive fountain at the end of the street. Pointing, he finished, "Over there. Say, in two hours?"

"Delighted; sounds good, Finn. Maybe when we meet back up, you can buy us some lunch, eh?"

"I hear that." Eri said, bumping his three-fingered fist against the Elcor's massive foot.

Mannon told Finn, "You've been here before right? Is there somewhere I can get in touch with the Alliance?"

"I'd look for Harper's Dataport." He advised her. "It's more of a cyber-café, but you should be able to make a long distance communication there."

"Ah." She looked around uncertainly.

Chuckling Finn said, "Head past the fountain into the Genma Quarter. From there, just ask any Nuekaraan you come across; they should be able to point you the right way."

Nodding, she said, "R-right. Well … see you in two hours."

With that, the crew split up. Well, most of them. For some reason, it didn't surprise Finn in the slightest when he realized Kyra was still walking behind him.

"Need directions?" He asked, glancing back at her.

She shook her head vehemently. "I'm staying with you. You don't mind, right?"

"Of course not." Finn replied, that strange feeling of awkwardness he felt around her rising inside him. "But it's not like I'm doing anything exciting. I'm just heading to an old friend of mine to get the Ulasomorf's transponder frequency changed."

"And after that?"

"After that." He mused on the thought for a moment before saying, "I think I'll head down to the Sagrit Quarter. That's where I lived the last time I was here, and I'd like to see the place again."

"Heck, yeah!" Jake said, wagging his tail end. "Gotta check out the old haunts."

"Well, that doesn't sound boring." She told him.

Before he could object, she slipped her arm around his and hugged it close. "C'mon then; let's go!"

The streets of the city were filled with other visitors of every known species and then some. Unlike Omega's oppressive atmosphere, New Elysia left visitors feeling relaxed and chatty. The sounds of conversations filled the air, providing a goldmine of information to someone keeping an ear to the ground. Finn wanted to stick around and listen in for awhile, but they had business to attend to.

Kyra stared at everything with the kind of wide-eyed wonderment normally attributed with small children. She was constantly dragging him from storefront to storefront, her eyes alight as she looked at the local goods. It slowed their progress considerably and left Finn's free arm loaded down with bags, but Finn found he didn't really mind. They had plenty of time, and it was clear she had never been on New Elysia.

After about an hour of wandering about and shopping, Jake called out, "I see it."

"What?" Kyra asked, her tone making it clear she had already forgotten their original destination.

Jake pointed one paw down the street, where a partially overgrown sign hung over a storefront littered with old parts. The sign had a picture of a little yellow and blue robot holding a comically oversized wrench.

"Servbot Forty-Two." Finn read aloud from the shop's sign. "Well, let's go see if Godot's in."

A tiny bell chimed as they entered the shop, but the front desk was currently vacant. As they waited, Finn glanced at a few old posters on the wall.

Most were advertisements for local entertainment venues; asari singers who fell out of the limelight, art exhibitions long since packed up and gone, the obligatory traveling production of Hamlet with an all elcor cast. The freshest of the posters seemed to be for a quarian group known as 'Siren's Call'. From the picture, it was hard to tell if they were musicians, dancers, or both.

"Siren's Call." Jake said aloud, reading one of the more recent posters. "Huh. Hey, Kyra; ever heard of them?"

"Can't say that I have."

Finn glanced at Kyra, only to find her staring at the same poster as Jake with an almost hateful expression on her face.

Before he could ask her what was wrong, the back door of the shop slammed open, revealing a short skinny man in a tasteless flower shirt. He peered over the counter at them through his holo-visor, saying in a rather cranky manner, "All right, who are you and what do you want?"

"I'm Finn Cresste, and I want wealth, fame, and access to the depths of sleaze those things bring." Finn replied instantly.

The man leaned over until he was mere inches from Finn. After peering at Finn for a long time, a smile broke out over his face.

"Finn, my boy! It IS you! And Jake too!"

He hurried around the counter and gave Finn a surprisingly hearty handshake as he continued, "It's been what, five years since you took off to find your fortune?"

"Six, actually." Jake said as Godot patted him on the head.

"My, time flies, eh?" Godot let out a dry chuckle. He peered at Kyra, asking, "Ah, and who might this be?"

Glancing at Kyra, Finn said, "Godot, this is my … associate, Kyra."

Godot smiled at her and offered his hand, saying, "Always to pleasure to meet one of Finns friends. Well, maybe not a pleasure, but it's always a bang!"

Kyra flashed Finn a grin before asking, "Really? I'd love to hear some of your stories about our stalwart captain."

"Oh, Captain Finn now, is it?" Godot asked, raising a bushy white eyebrow at a magnetic coil on the counter that he probably thought was Finn.

Finn couldn't help but sigh. "Technically. I … inherited a ship. That's why I'm here, actually."

"Oh?"

Finn let out another sigh and moved the coil so that Godot was looking at least a little more directly at him. "We need a transponder change."

"My, my." Godot said, giving Finn a fiendish wink. "Up to no good, are we? Well, normally I'd charge a premium, but seeing as it's you, let's just call this your last paycheck, hmm?"

"Thanks, Godot." Finn said, clasping the man's hand. "My ships in bay C-40."

As they left Servbot 42, Kyra commented, "He seemed nice."

"Yeah, he is." Finn told her. "Best boss I've ever had, next to Darsan. Don't tell Darsan I said that, though."

Kyra giggled. "I won't. He seems like the sensitive type."

They walked in silence for awhile. Jake walked a good distance ahead of them. The fact that he was giving Finn and Kyra space didn't escape Finn.

Finn listened to the rustle of the bags in silence for a long time. Eventually realizing how uncomfortable the silence had gotten, he decided he should say something.

"I miss this place." He immediately blushed; that was a little more personal than he intended. "Got to know the Neukaraan, learned how to fix things from Godot, had quite a few good friends. For the most part, I had a pretty good life."

"For the most part?" She asked, her usual cheeriness giving way to a softer, more serious tone.

He met her gaze for a moment before looking away. "For the most part."

After a few moments of silence, he felt her hand clasp his.

"C'mon." She said, her cheerful demeanor returning as she playfully tugged him forward. "We still got a lot to see, right?"

Seeing her smiling face made it impossible for him to dwell on mistakes from the past. Smiling back at her, he nodded and said, "Let's go."


	17. Chapter 17 - Song of the Sirens

Chapter 17

**Song of the Sirens**

Darsan and Eri were already at the fountain when Finn and Kyra returned. In addition to his absurd hat, Darsan had donned a pair of shades and a tacky flower-pattern shirt that reminded Finn of Godot. Eri, on the other hand, looked the same as ever.

"You know, you didn't have to wear combat armor." Finn told him as he gladly sat down at one of the benches around the fountain.

"I know. Honestly, I just feel more comfortable with it on these days. Omega, you know." Eri glanced at the numerous bags Finn was carrying. "Getting some shopping in?"

"Oh, that's me." Kyra told him as she sat down beside Finn. "He's been a real sweetie."

"Has he?" Eri gave Finn a look of mock surprise. "My word. And here I thought I was the only one who thought he was a 'sweetie'."

Kyra laughed at his response. Finn forced a chuckle as he shot Eri a venomous glare. It didn't work; there was a look of mischief in the turian's eyes that made it clear that Finn hadn't heard the last of this.

"Enquiring; where did you go?" asked Darsan.

"Set up the whole transponder changing thing and …" Finn held up the bags.

Kyra looked at him, her face suddenly distraught. "Oh! Finn! We were supposed to go by your old neighborhood! I'm sorry, I just got carried away with-"

"It's fine." He told her kindly. "I was just gonna go stare at an old apartment complex, hardly interesting stuff. Besides, we've got time to spare; I'm thinking it best we stay here for awhile and give our pursuers a little time to lose us now that they won't be able to identify the Ulasomorf."

"Unless Billy's bugged." Eri said. "He could be giving away our signal."

"I had plenty of time to scan Billy thoroughly." Kyra replied, flashing Finn a glance as she bumped her shoulder against his side. "There are no signals coming from him."

"Nothing we could detect anyway." Finn mused.

Kyra and Eri glared at him. Blushing, he quickly added, "But we could spend forever worrying about what we can't detect. For now, let's take a little time to put our feet up and relax. In the meantime, we'll keep an ear out for any information regarding the people following us. I might see if Godot can tell us anything from the ship."

"Psh. Godot, man." Jake said, hopping of the fountain. "He'll take forever to tell us anything."

"I know where you're going with this, and I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't." Finn told the mechanical dog, his eyes narrowing.

"You should've seen him in the old days, Kyra." Jake said, putting his front feet on her knees. "He'd call us into his office, and we'd wait and wait."

"Jake." Finn said in a warning tone.

"You could say we were always waiting for G-aack!"

A spark of electricity had jumped from the edge of Finn's omni-tool and zapped Jake on his tail end, making the mechanical mutt jump away from Kyra.

"Oops." Finn said innocently as his omni-tool faded. "Must be a short in the circuitry."

"Yeah, I bet." Jake said, the dog-face on his screen giving him a narrow-eyed stare.

Standing up, Finn clapped his hands together, saying, "Well, now that we're all here, we should go get some lunch. There's a great little café just down the-"

"Wait a second." Kyra said, her hand on Finn's shoulder as she glanced around the fountain plaza. "Where's Mannon?"

With a start, Finn realized she was right. Mannon was still not there. As an Alliance officer, he had taken for granted that she'd have already arrived.

"Well, she might've got caught up with her phone call." Finn said, but even as he spoke the words, his thoughts drifted back to how she had reacted to the discovery of Billy. She had been quite insistent on getting the ship to the Alliance. He had assumed she'd let it go on the promise that they'd go to the Alliance after New Elysia, but perhaps …

Finn shook his head; he had known Mannon for years; she wouldn't betray the team like that.

"I'm going to go see if she's still at Harper's Dataport." Finn said, standing up. "Jake, could you show everyone else to the Muonsol Café?"

"Sure, man. Come on, everyone! You're gonna love this place!"

"Hang on!" Kyra called out as he started to walk away. She hurried over to him and relieved him of her shopping bags.

"Oh, right." He said, feeling a little silly. "I forgot about those."

"S'okay." She said, giving him her usual carefree smile. "Hurry back, okay? I'm hungry, and if you take too long, we're gonna start without you."

"Gee, thanks." He said, chuckling.

The Genma quarter was one of the older parts of New Elysia. A few trees could be found here and there, but for the most part, it was the usual metal walls and glowing lights a tourist might attribute to the Citadel (or, if said tourist were not in a good mood, Omega). While the rest of New Elysia was for rest, relaxation, and entertainment, the Genma quarter was about business: the high rise, Senior Vice-President meetings with the board about policy kind of business.

The residents of the Genma quarter were typically the wealthy, the highborn, and the powerful. They were the string-pullers, the people who kept the galaxy running no matter what it took. Finn had even done a few jobs for some of them, though not many; they typically viewed lowly working people like him with thinly veiled contempt. He didn't mind; he typically viewed the elite as a bunch of egotistical jerks who couldn't take a piss without three trained assistants.

Harper's Dataport was run by the Manos Consumer Conglomerate, a fairly large communication company. Although it wasn't widely known, they were the ones who contracted Omega's Transtat stations, a move that had earned the company a fortune. By providing easy, convenient, and secure communications across known space, they had risen to become one of the more powerful companies based out of New Elysia.

The salarian barista glanced up at Finn as the door opened with a tinkle of a bell. "Hey there. Can I get you something?"

"Coffee?" Finn asked hopefully.

"Normal or French vanilla?" He asked.

"Normal. Black, if you don't mind."

The barista chuckled. "Like it strong, eh? Give me a sec."

Finn had a seat as the barista busied himself behind the counter. After a few moments, the salarian set a cup down in front of Finn, saying, "That'll be three credits."

Finn verified the purchase on his omni-tool, saying, "There you go, and a little extra."

"Ah." The salarian said, nodding. "You're looking for information too."

"Nothing big." Finn admitted. "Have you seen an Alliance soldier in here today? Human, female, wears her coat around her waist?"

"Ah, yes; she's in booth six. Been in there for awhile, actually." An uneasy look passed over the salarian's face. "Is everything all right?"

"It's fine." Finn assured him. "She's got a lot to report. You mind if I wait for her?"

"Not at all. It's been a slow day, and I like having someone around to talk to."

"Thanks."

The salarian picked up a dishrag and started wiping down the counter. "Where are you from, my friend?"

"Earth. Omega. I even lived here, once."

"Ah, a wanderer, eh? Must be fun moving around so much."

"It has its moments." Finn took a sip of his coffee and let out a sigh; it had been years since he had a decent cup of joe. "So, what's going on around here?"

"Well, Siren's Call is back in town, making the usual rounds. You ever seen them before?"

"Can't say that I have."

"Well, you should try to. Beautiful girls, and fantastic dancers. Their new singer's pretty good too."

Finn nodded. "Sounds interesting. I'll have to look 'em up."

"Other than that, things are pretty much the same. There's the usual squabbling between the trusks and the glin, but the scaal keep 'em in line. I did hear a little something about the Blue Suns."

Finn glanced up at the salarian over the rim of his mug. Setting down his drink, he asked, "Oh?"

"Several ships landed and tried to harass the locals. Scaal sorted them out soon enough, though; it's hard to be a bully when you're being tossed through the air like a volleyball."

"Scaal biotics?" Finn asked curiously.

"Well, they were scaal all right, but I'm not sure about the biotics part. I've heard rumors of some kind of native magic."

"Yeah, I heard that a lot back when I lived here." Finn said, nodding. "I doubt it's really anything as vague as 'magic' though."

"I agree." The salarian agreed. "It could be natural biotics like the asari, or maybe something completely different. That's why I love living here; there's so much to discover, so much to know."

"Well, whatever it is the do, I'm glad they're on our side." Finn said before finishing the last of his coffee.

As he set down the mug, the salarian asked, "Want another?"

Finn started to nod when he heard the sound of a stall door sliding open. Glancing back, he saw Mannon step out of one of the stalls.

"There she is." Finn turned back to the salarian barista, saying, "Thanks for the coffee and the gossip, man."

"No problem." He replied with a smile. "I'm always here."

Finn slid off his seat and approached Mannon. She looked lost in thought, and more than a little bothered.

"Hey, Sherle." Finn said, giving her a wave.

She glanced up, startled. "Finn? What are you doing here?"

"Came to check up on you." He told her. "The others are waiting for us to get some lunch."

"Oh … good."

Something in her tone bothered Finn. He started to ask her about it when the salarian Barista asked, "Pardon me, but would you happen to be Finn Cresste?"

"Yeah, that's me." He replied, giving the salarian a curious look.

The salarian held up a datapad, saying, "This arrived for you earlier. It's probably just a prank; the sender claimed to be Aria T'loak."

Finn's eyes widened at the mention of the Omegan queen. He took the datapad and read it quickly.

"Hey, Cresste. Looked into the Blue Suns; you were right. They're definitely up to something big. No sign of a third party yet, but they're definitely bringing in enough firepower to start a fight. Might've even caught me off guard if you hadn't warned me. I thought I'd return the favor; no signs of the Blue Suns partners, but there was a turian asking after you by name. Said her name was P'Terya. I ran the name by my info brokers and came up completely blank. I spread info that you were heading to Ilium to throw her off track, just in case. -Aria T'loak. P.S. You're welcome."

"Terra." He whispered. He had forgotten about her.

"Who's Terra?" Mannon asked curiously.

"Later." Finn handed the datapad back to the salarian barista, saying, "Thanks, man."

"Not a problem." As Finn and Mannon left Harper's Dataport, Finn heard the salarian snort. "Aria T'loak. Heh."

The walk to the Muonsol Café was silent. Finn was grateful for the silence; it gave him time to think about what he was going to tell the others.

Muonsol Café was a small restaurant during Finn's last stay. As they neared the restaurant, however, Finn was surprised to see the restaurant had expanded across the entire block. During the intervening years, what had once been a five-person 'mom and pop' restaurant had become one of the most popular dining locals on the planet. There was a long line around dinnertime, but the lunch crowd was small enough for Finn and Mannon to get inside rather quickly.

As they entered the café, they were met by an asari in a red evening robe.

"Good afternoon." She said kindly. "How many?"

"Here with a group, actually." Finn told her. "A quarian, a turian, and an elcor wearing a big red hat."

"Ah. Yes, it'd be hard to forget him." To Finn's surprise, the waitress was blushing as she motioned for them to follow her.

The inside of the Muonsol Café had changed as much as the outside. Gone were the plastic tables of Finn's time, now replaced by dark-stained hardwood tables and cushy booths capable of hosting a small party. A large stage filled about half of the room, but was currently closed off with a thick red velvet curtain.

There were quite a few patrons inside. There were a few tourists, but most of the lunch crowd were day laborers. Some were just taking a lunch break, while others had just gotten off work for the day. The Muonsol Café served every species; Finn even spotted a hanar whose tendrils rested in a large bowl of specially prepared soup.

There was something different about the crowd, though; many had simply ordered drinks. Finn wondered if there was a performance scheduled.

Darsan, Kyra, and Eri were at a large booth in the back of the dining room. Jake was sitting in the booth beside Kyra in sleep mode, his right leg kicking slightly as she absently rubbed his side.

"Hey everyone." Finn said, sitting down next to Jake. "Ready to order?"

"We just did." Kyra told him. "I ordered you a Vimes BLT."

"How did you know I …"

"Jake." She answered before Finn could finish.

Chuckling, Finn shrugged and leaned back in against the soft cushions of the booth as Mannon sat down next to him.

After another asari approached and gave everyone a glass of water (and in Darsan's case, an impressively long straw), Finn cleared his throat.

"I think I might've found out something about our new friends." He told them. "When I stopped by Krieger's place for the parts for J-27, there was a turian woman with him."

"With him as in …" Kyra began, a slight blush in her cheeks.

"Talking with him." Finn replied. "Something about being a representative of a bigger client. I didn't really think much about it at the time, but I just got a message from Aria; apparently she showed up at Omega and was asking about us."

An uneasy silence fell over the group.

"Doubtful; it could be a coincidence."

Snorting, Eri replied, "That says it all, really. I don't suppose she was kind enough to wear a uniform with her company's name on it."

"Nope. She was wearing a robe." Finn glanced at Eri's hand. "Turians typically have three fingers on each hand, right?"

Eri gave him an odd look. "Do you always begin conversations this way?"

"Seriously; quarians and turians have three fingers on each hand, right?"

"Well, yeah." Now Kyra was looking at him strangely too. "Why are you asking?"

"Maybe I'm nuts, but when I shook Terra's hand, I'm pretty sure she had four. Could it have been a mutation?"

Eri shook his head, saying, "Genetics are beyond me. I've never heard of it before."

"Did anything else about her look strange?" Kyra asked curiously.

Finn shook his head. "Couldn't see her face to well, but she seemed like a normal turian otherwise. Same body shape and mandibles."

They fell silent as a waitress arrived to deliver their food and take Mannon's order.

Once the waitress had left, Darsan asked, "Enquiring; so you believe she may be a member of the same organization chasing us?"

"It seems likely." Finn replied. "I know it doesn't help much, but I thought you should know."

"Approvingly; Any information we get on our pursuers is useful. Knowing what even one of them looks like makes it that much harder for them to get the drop on us."

Everyone except Mannon and Finn began to eat. Kyra had ordered a sub with some kind of meat Finn didn't recognize. Eri's meal looked like some kind of large pillbug that despite being dextro food put off a pleasing scent. Darsan had a large salad that he ate very slowly, lifting one of his hands and handling the lettuce without a fork.

Finn took a bite of his sandwich. "Ah, good. They still know how to make a good Vimes BLT; plenty of tasty, crisp bacon with a little lettuce and a tiny tomato slice as an afterthought."

He started to take another bite when he was interrupted by the sound of someone testing the stage microphone.

"Is this thing … ah, good." Clearing his throat, a dark-skinned man Finn recognized as the owner of the café cleared his throat. "Greetings ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for your custom; ever since I first built this place, I dreamed of being able to entertain my guests."

Finn had to fight hard not to shout out; "Oh lord, he's going to sing." While it would've gotten a good laugh, it was clear that the owner was at least trying to act a bit more respectable than he did back in the day.

"So it is with great pleasure that I introduce to you … The Siren's Call!"

The curtail pulled open to reveal five beautiful quarian women wearing dresses that left little to the imagination. A singularly stunning quarian in an evening gown slowly walked up to the microphone as the house cheered. She smiled at the crowd, her eyes scanning over the room.

Finn jumped as something touched his arm. It was Kyra, who had an urgent look on her face.

"I need to go to the bathroom." She whispered.

Nodding, Finn tapped Mannon on the shoulder and motioned for the two of them to stand up for a moment so Kyra could get out of the booth. She passed by quickly and swiftly headed for the bathroom entrance.

After sitting back down, Finn glanced back at the stage to find the woman looking straight at him. He felt a blush rise in his cheeks immediately.

Her eyes lingered on his for a moment before she said, "This first song is for the lost and the broken; remember, my dear friends; we are all broken. It's how we move past our faults that makes us who we are."

As she began to sing, Finn felt her voice surround his mind. Time seemed to slip away as she moved across the stage, her partners dancing behind her in a way that almost seemed hypnotic. His head slowly lowered as her realized how tired he was; tired of running, tired of living with his past, tired of paying the price he still felt was owed. As he fell asleep, the last image he saw was of the woman standing on the stage as the lights gradually faded to nothingness.


	18. Chapter 18 - Scars

Chapter 18

**Scars**

"Finn! Finn, wake up!"

Finn awoke in a dull haze. It was hot … way too hot for his liking.

"Zat you, Jake?" He mumbled.

"Oh, thank God! I thought you were a goner, man!" Jake's metal form appeared blearily in Finn's vision, but the angle was wrong.

"Why're you on the wall?"

"Ah, crap. Finn, listen to me; the apartment's on fire."

"Turn on the air-conditioning then."

Finn rolled over and started to go back to sleep, only for Jake to get into his face and zap him with a jot of electricity.

"Gaah!" Finn said, sitting bolt upright. The smell of smoke cleared away the fog instantly. Quickly falling back to the ground, Finn shook the rest of the cobwebs from his head and quickly covered his mouth with the front of his shirt. "What the hell?"

"The building's on fire, man! Come on, we gotta get outta here!"

Nodding, Finn crawled after Jake. The flames weren't in his room yet, but he could see flickering outside his window.

It was a terriflying experience; the hallway was practically an inferno. Even sticking as close to the ground as he could, Finn could tell he was breathing in a lot of smoke.

"Is the stairwell clear?" Finn asked, trying not to cough.

"It was when I ran up here."

As soon as they hit the stairwell, Finn took a deep breath and stood up so he could descend faster. They were four floors up, but the air in the stairwell was at least a little less smoky.

"Come on, Finn!" Jake shouted, bounding past the entrance to the second floor.

Finn started to follow, when he noticed something through the haze and smoke; Two scaar, one lying on the ground, the other kneeling beside him.

As Finn moved toward the door, Jake came to a screeching halt.

"What are you doin', man?" He asked, panic in his voice.

"Someone's still here!" Finn shoved his way through the door and hurried to the scaar's side.

It was a man and a woman, the former of which was no longer breathing. Half of his body was practically ash. The woman stared at him as though catatonic, her hand still holding his.

Finn put his hand on her shoulder, saying, "We've gotta go!"

"Leave me." She said, her voice dead.

Finn stared at her a moment, not believing what he was hearing. "What?"

"Leave me here. I am already dead."

"Look, you ain't dead! I'm sorry for the loss of your partner, but dying here isn't going to bring him back!"

She remained where she was, her eyes on her bondmate. "I am already dead." She said.

"Oh, for the love of …" Finn grabbed her and lifted her from the ground. She offered no resistance; she didn't even flinch as her bondmate's hand slid from her hand. Fortunately for Finn, scaar were quite light.

Finn burst out of the second floor landing where Jake was waiting.

"Her partner's dead." Finn told him. "Come on! Let's get out of here!"

As they rushed down the final stairwell, part of the upper floors collapsed, cutting Finn off from the exit.

"Finn!" Jake called out, terror in his voice. "Finn, are you okay?"

"Concerned; Finn! Come on, Finn, wake up!"

Finn opened his eyes to find himself back in the Muonsol Café booth. Darsan was peering down at him, his massive hand on Finn's shoulder. Mannon and Eri were looking at him as well, concern in their eyes.

"Wha …? Finn asked peering around blearily.

"Worried; are you okay? You are crying."

Finn rubbed his eyes to find that Darsan was right; tears were streaming down his eyes.

"There was a fire." Finn mumbled, looking around the café. There was no sign of Siren's Call, and most of the lunch crowd had already left.

He put a hand to his head as the last vestiges of the dream slowly faded away. "Sorry. I must've dozed off."

"Who is Xyn?"

Finn looked sharply at Mannon. "What?"

"You said the name Xyn while you were asleep. Who is that?"

"I don't know." Finn lied. Glancing around for a way to change the subject, he noticed two absences in the group. "Hey, where's Kyra and Jake?"

"Jake is …" Mannon glanced beside Jimmy, only to notice that Jake was in fact not there. "Huh. I could've sworn he was there a second ago."

"As for Kyra," Eri said, his eyes scanning the crowd, "Didn't she get up at the start of the Siren's show?"

"Yeah, she said she needed to go to the restroom." Finn replied.

Darsan did something that could only be called a snort. "That was over an hour ago. That's too long, even for a woman."

"Hey!" Mannon said, giving Darsan a light punch in the arm.

"Oh. Well, maybe she went back to the ship to drop off-"

"-her bags?" Eri finished, holding up one of the many shopping bags sitting in the corner of the booth.

Finn frowned. "Mannon, could you go see if she's still in the bathroom? I'm gonna see if I can't find Jake."

As he stood up, Eri and Mannon moved to follow him. He glanced at them both for a moment before saying, "It's probably nothing. This isn't Omega; she probably just went for a walk or something. Heck, maybe Jake's with her."

"Still," Eri said, "I wouldn't be much of a friend if I let my buddy's girlfriend get taken."

"She's not my girlfriend." Finn said, glowering at the turian.

It was surprising how mischievous a turian could look. "Oh, my mistake. That must've been some other human who gets flustered around her and carries her shopping."

"Innocently; and sleeps in the same bed as her."

"What?" Eri and Finn said at the same time before exchanging glances.

"You sly dog." Said Eri, shaking his head.

His cheeks burning, Finn quickly said, "It wasn't like that. I didn't realize she was there until she …"

"Whoa!" Eri said, holding up his hands. "Whoa there, Finn! I don't care to hear the details of your sordid little affairs."

"Teasing; speak for yourself, Eri. Come on, Finn; tell us more about her eyes."

"I …" Finn glowered at the both of them, saying, "I hate you both, you know that?"

As he walked away, he heard Darsan say, "Happily; our little boy is growing up, isn't he?"

He glanced back to see Eri and Darsan, each with an arm over the other's shoulders as they watched Finn.

Rolling his eyes, Finn walked away as swiftly as he could manage, confirming the credit transfer for their lunch on his omni-tool in the process.

Once he was outside of the restaurant, Finn activated his omni-tool again. "Jake, where the hell are you?"

"Shh!"

Finn raised an eyebrow despite the fact their private communication channel was audio-only. "What are you doing?"

"I'm following Kyra."

Despite the fact no one was around, Finn felt his cheeks grow hot. "Well, stop it! What she does isn't either of our business."

"Why not? She's going around asking about you."

"What?" Finn asked, taken aback by this knowledge.

"We're in the Sagrit Quarter right now. She's been going around asking store owners and the like if they know you."

Finn wasn't sure how to respond to this. Part of him was angry; what business of it of hers was he? The anger soon faded, however, as he realized that he was her business. He was her friend, and the captain of the ship that was now her home.

"Still, I wish she had just asked me." Finn replied, more to himself than to Jake.

"You'd have told her?" Jake asked, sounding surprised.

Finn considered it a moment before saying, "I'd say no, but it's hard to predict what I do when she's around."

"You should tell her, man. Chicks dig a guy who can open up."

"We've only know each other for a week."

"Life is short, bro. Gotta seize the moment!"

Finn let out a sigh. "Did everyone get together and talk about this or something?"

"Come on, man! We're not too far from the Gladfield Apartments. I'll be your wingman!"

"Big words for a dog." Shaking his head, Finn said, "Okay, you win. I'm on my way."

"Ha! You do like her! I knew it!"

The Sagrit Quarter was mostly apartment complexes and the more day-to-day kind of shops. There was a healthy farmer's market near the center of the district that sold fresh vegetables and fruits from the outer gardens. The apartment complexes themselves ranged from the standard metal box of pre-fabricated rooms to elaborate constructs built around the living trees.

The Sagrit Quarter was built at the site of a former Neukaraan settlement. As such, there was significantly less technology and considerably more plantlife. There were trees everywhere, not just of the native kline and jabar trees, but of many varieties from across the galaxy. The trusk tended the plantlife reverently with occasional aid from the scaal, the flin, and those of other species who had heard nature's call. The steel walkways of the inner city became cobblestone roads, the street lights became natural growths holding pieces of glowing crystal, and the air swam with the scent of plantlife.

As Finn strolled down the cobblestone streets, he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of Nostalgia. His time in New Elysia felt like ages ago, and yet it looked as though it hadn't changed a bit.

He took his time walking down the old paths, brushing his hands against the rough trunks of several of the trees as he passed. He missed sitting under the shade after work and taking moonlight walks through the quarter as the rest of the city slept. There was something innately magical about the place, much as with the Neukaraans themselves.

"Where are you, Jake?" Finn asked aloud, drawing curious glances from a pair of passing scaal.

"Maple street. Kyra's heading up to Glendale apartments."

"There's a name I never expected to hear again." Finn said, shaking his head. "I'm a few minutes away now."

Glendale apartments, one of the larger apartment complexes in the Sagrit Quarter, was the site of the fire of which he had so recently been reminded. No one was truly to blame for the accident; a short in the fire suppression system during a test set the place ablaze. The image of the apartment and the trees in which it had been build around still haunted his nightmares from time to time.

As he neared the restored building, he couldn't help but feel some comfort in the fact that the old apartment had been restored so well. Even though the trees would take years to regrow (which was still better than the decades it'd take without the Neukaraans help), the framework of the apartments had been completely rebuilt.

"With time, all wounds heal." Finn shook his head a and climbed up the wooden steps to the main entrance.

The lobby was empty, save for a male and female pair of scaal. The woman busied herself behind the counter while her bondmate swept the lobby.

"Greetings, sir." Said the woman, running a finger across her forehead to move her dark green hair out of her baby blue eyes. "Are you moving in?"

"Nah." Finn said truthfully. "I'm just visiting. I used to live here before the fire."

She looked at him with a sympathetic expression. "Such a tragedy. We lost many children of the forest that day. We have made special endeavors to ensure the fire suppression system will not malfunction, if you are considering renting a room."

"It's tempting." Finn said, rubbing the back of his head, "But my home's in the stars these days. Perhaps you can help me with something else, though; I'm looking for a friend of mine, a quarian woman wearing a sleeveless shirt and jeans."

"Ah, yes; Kyra, I believe. She was here just a few moments ago, asking about another former resident. I sent her to room 422; you could probably catch her if you hurry."

Finn paused a moment before replying, "Thank you."

As he hurried away, she said, "Have a good day, Mister Cresste."

"You too." Finn replied absently. He hurriedly ducked into the nearest stairwell and activated his omni-tool. "Jake, tell me you're reading this."

"Yeah, I'm here. What's the problem?"

"Something weird's going on here. You still on Kyra?"

"Yeah, I'm up on the fourth floor. What is it? What's going on?"

"I don't know, but I find it a bit suspicious that someone would point her to our old room."

"Our old … oh, it was 422, wasn't it? Well, she was asking about you."

"The owners of the hotel died in the fire. There weren't any records, and only a handful of people knew I stayed there before." Finn stopped, and murmured. "I didn't tell her my name."

"What?"

Horror slowly dawned on him as he realized that the male scaal in the lobby hadn't spoken. The woman hadn't even conferred with him. Pair bonds always conferred with each other, unless ...

"Unless they aren't pair bonds." Finn looked at his Omni-tool. "Get Kyra out of there?"

"Cool down, man; I'll head a min-"

The transmission cut off.

"Jake? Jake!" Finn swore and started to run up the stairs as fast as his legs could take him.

Stumbling as he pushed the door to the fourth floor open, he glanced down either hallway, only to find the place deserted. His mind raced as he ran down the hall towards his old room. How had the people chasing him found out about his old room? How had they gotten here so quickly? Were they going to use Kyra as some kind of ransom, or were they just picking off the crew one-by-one?

Finn skidded to a halt outside door 422. It was slightly ajar.

"Kyra! Jake!" Finn said, shoving the door open.

Kyra sat on the floor, cradling Jake's jerking body. Of more note, however, was the security mech with the stun baton. It pressed its baton against Finn before he could react. With a jolt of electricity, his world went dark.


	19. Chapter 19 - Broken

Chapter 19

**Broken**

Finn awoke to find himself sitting on some kind of chair, unable to move his arms and completely surrounded by darkness.

He was also quite sore, as he discovered when he tried to test whatever it was that was digging into his wrists.

"Ow! Son of a …" He muttered.

Something moved behind him. "Finn? Oh, thank the ancestors, you're awake!"

"Kyra?" He asked, though he recognized her voice.

The chair shook.

"Did you just nod?"

"Yes." She said sheepishly.

Sighing, Finn said, "Don't worry about it. We've got enough on our plate right now. Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. You?"

"Splitting headache and my body feels like it was worked over with a baseball bat. Hey, is Jake here?"

"Yeah, I'm here, bro." Jake replied, sounding dejected. "Someone tied me to an old radiator. I can't get out, man."

Finn tried his bonds again, but they only dug deeper into his wrists. "I'm stuck too."

"Same here."

A moment of silence passed over them.

"I'm sorry, Kyra." Finn said, hanging his head.

"For what?" To her credit, she genuinely sounded surprised.

"For dragging you into this. God knows what they've got planned for us after they take Billy. I just hope Eri, Darson, and Mannon get away."

"It's not your fault." Kyra told him. "For the record, I thought you were a pretty cool captain."

Finn smiled despite their predicament. "Thanks. You're a pretty bang-up mechanic, fixing the engine like that."

"Don't I know it." In a more serious voice, she said, "Not that I don't appreciate the compliment."

After a few more moments of silence, Finn sighed. "Any thoughts on getting out of this?"

"Not really. You?"

Finn considered for a moment. "Panic?"

He heard Kyra let out a snort of laughter. "Anything constructive?"

"Nope."

Light flooded into the room as the door swung open. Finn tried to look at the figure looming in the doorway, but he couldn't make out more than the figure's humanoid shape.

"Hey," Jake shouted as the figure approached Finn. "Just who the hell do you think you are, chasing us across the galaxy! If I wasn't tied up and was actually a dog, I'd totally bite your ankle!"

Jake's passionate speech didn't provoke a response.

Still squinting at the figure, Finn said, "I get why you want the ship, but why are you chasing us? Sneaking aboard the Ulasomorf and stealing the damn thing would've been a hell of a lot easier than kidnapping us."

"I am not a thief, nor have I followed you since you left this world." Replied a silky, feminine voice. "But I haven't forgotten you, Finn."

"That voice …" Finn said slowly. If their captor wasn't part of the group following them, he honestly had no idea who it could be.

When his eyes finally adjusted to the light, he peered at the figure again. It was the scaal woman from the front desk. As he stared at her, however, he realized that she looked different; her face was thinner, her hair long and straight instead of curly as it had been earlier. It was the burn scars on the woman's arm that finally clinched her identity.

"Xyn?" He said disbelievingly.

"Who?" Kyra asked, trying to twist her head so she could see.

"Xyn Unalla." The scaal replied as she walked around the room. She gestured at the crystalline growths on the wall as she passed, making each glow brightly with a wave of her hand. They appeared to be in a storage room

It was a strange sensation; Finn was relieved that it wasn't the people chasing him, but in many ways this was worse.

"Xyn …" he began.

She struck him. Unlike Kyra's bonks, Xyn's slap hurt.

"It's strange, isn't it?" She commented as though nothing out of the ordinary happened. "The cycle of life moves beyond the ground and into the cosmos, sending us all running in great big circles. Do any of us really get anywhere, or would it be better if we simply waited in one place our whole lives?"

"This isn't about them, Xyn." Finn said, his voice strangely quiet. "Let them go."

Xyn struck him again. There was something strange in how she seemed to make the barest movement of her arm, yet struck with the force of an angry krogan.

Finn could taste blood in his mouth. He spat out what he could as the slender scaal woman continued, "They told me you had left. Even Godot was sure you'd never come back after what happened … and yet, here you are."

She ran a finger down the nape of his neck and across his shoulder, musing, "Imagine my surprise when I saw Finn Cresste walking down the street, arm in arm with her."

Kyra was silent. Part of Finn wished she would say something, but it was hard to blame her for keeping her peace after seeing the reaction Finn's remarks brought.

Xyn stopped in front of Finn and put both hands on his knees as she stared into his eyes. "Does she know of me, Finn? Does she know of us?"

"There never was an 'us'."

He winced when the blow came, but it didn't surprise him.

As she continued to walk around the room, she said, "Then I will tell her the tale. Twenty years ago, my mate and I were first bonded. Even as mere seedlings, our souls were filled with a love for the brush; on canvas, we captured wonders of the earth and sky, and of the stars beyond. Our souls were gentle, pure, and kind. While great wealth was never part of our life, we were content to live here in peace, secure in our meager earnings and our love."

A change came over her face, subtle at first, but growing more pained as she continued, "Then came the fire; burning pain and death sweeping through our home. Our creations, painstakingly painted and captured from the fabric of reality, destroyed, and my bondmate's death screaming in my ears as he passed beyond the veil and left me alone."

She paused for a moment, the pain on her face almost more than Finn could bear to see. Shaking her head, she whispered in the same lifeless voice she had used all those years ago, "His death tore me asunder. Do you know what it's like? To share a mind with someone, their thoughts constantly whispering and comforting you? Do you know how it feels for that to be torn from your mind, leaving your thoughts torn and broken and so horribly alone?"

"I didn't know." Finn told her. "I thought I was saving …"

She raised her hand as though to hit him. He flinched in anticipation, but the blow never came. Instead, she gently touched his cheek. He blushed, strangely aware of the warmth of her hand against his skin.

"And you did, my love. Where my own people would've let me die, you stayed by my side. You brought me out of the darkness and showed me that my time didn't have to end; that I could heal and find someone new … and I chose you."

"You have a girlfriend?" Kyra asked accusingly.

Finn tried to shoot a glare at her, but his head wouldn't turn enough. "It wasn't like that. I stayed with her, but not 'with her' with her!"

"So you just toyed with her?"

"For the love of … she lost her bond mate! The scaal wouldn't help her, and none of her old friends would even speak to her. Jake and I were the only ones who treated her like she even existed."

Xyn held a finger to his lips. "Hush. You don't have to explain. You once told me that life is unpredictable, a tapestry woven of hellos and goodbyes. That you have returned is proof of our bond."

"I returned because we're being chased, Xyn; people are trying to kill us. They already destroyed the satellite where I lived and hurt a dear friend of –"

Without warning, she hit him again. He let out a small gasp of pain as his vision started to swim.

"If you care for him so much, why are you hurting him?" Kyra demanded.

Xyn glanced at her, the delicate features of her face hardening. "Because he hurt me. When he left, it was like my heart was torn open again. I was alone for so long …"

Looking at Finn, she whispered, "You didn't even say goodbye. Was it something I did? Did I fail you in some way?"

"No." Finn replied, sadness creeping into his tone. "I failed me, Xyn. I failed us both. I wanted to help you, but all I did was make things worse. I left because I was afraid I was doing more harm than good."

"You never harmed me." Xyn cooed, rubbing his bruised cheek. "You were kind and caring, just like Shien. I would've done anything to make you stay."

"I know, and that scared me. I didn't deserve that kind of commitment then, and I don't deserve it now."

"But she does?" Xyn shot an icy look at Kyra. "I saw you together in the streets."

"She's part of my crew." Finn eyes shut tight as he saw her hand dart towards him again. White-hot pain shot across the side of his face from her hit; in moments, he could feel the skin around his eye tighten and swell.

"I watched you both, Finn. The way you both steal glances at each other, the way you smile and laugh when you're together. You care for each other. You couldn't share yourself with me, but you can with her."

"It's not like that." Finn said, hoping it wouldn't earn him another strike. "We've only known each other for a week."

"Then you deny that you have feelings for her?"

Finn didn't respond. He couldn't. What was he going to say? Telling her the truth would hurt her, and lying to her would only hurt her more.

"I thought so." Xyn said sadly. "You found what you were missing."

"I guess I did." Finn said, thinking to his time on J-27.

Xyn slowly walked out of his field of vision. As Finn looked around with his good eye, he noticed something … or more accurately, an absence of something. Jake had slipped his bonds and escaped while everyone had been talking.

Finn breathed a small sigh of relief, but it didn't last for long.

"And now that you found what you are missing, you can finally accept love. My love."

Horror dawned over him as he realized her meaning. "You can't mean …"

There was a whisper of metal; the sound of a blade being drawn. "I'm sorry, my love, but it is for the best. Once she is gone, our bond will fill the emptiness inside you, and we will be happy."

"You don't have to kill her!" Finn said desperately. "Let her go; I'll stay with you."

"Finn!" Kyra said, shock clear in her voice.

Xyn slowly walked back into his vision. She knelt down in front of him and stared into his eyes. She put her hand against his cheek. He didn't flinch this time; instead, he rubbed against it.

"You speak honestly." She said softly, her tone almost one of wonder and disbelief.

"Finn, no!" Kyra shouted, struggling against her bonds. "You can't do this!"

"I don't want any more blood on my hands, Kyra!" Finn said, his tone harsher than he intended. Taking a deep breath, he said more calmly, "I've made so many mistakes in my short life … so many people hurt. If I can redeem even one of them-"

"You're just being a selfish bastard!" She shouted angrily. "You aren't doing it for her! You're doing it because you feel sorry for yourself!"

"Maybe I am." Finn conceded. "Maybe I always have been selfish."

"Finn …" Kyra's voice had a tone of desperation to it now. "Don't … just don't."

Xyn watched them both, her expression wooden (no pun intended). Just as she seemed to come to a decision, Finn's omni-tool activated.

"Finn!" Jake's voice shouted over the communications channel, "I've got Eri, and we're on the way! Stall her as long as you can!"

A dark look passed over Xyn's face. Without a word, she walked back over to Kyra.

"No, Xyn!" Finn shouted, struggling in vain to free himself. "Don't hurt her!"

"I take no pleasure in this, child of Rannoch." Xyn said, her voice serious. "But I must do this for my bondmate and I."

"I understand." Kyra said. The sincerity in her voice surprised Finn.

He bowed his head, his mind frantically grasping at some way to save Kyra, but he could only stare at their shadows on the wall as Xyn raised the knife to strike.

Kyra's shadow suddenly lengthened as she wrapped her legs around Xyn and threw her to the floor with an impressive twist of her hips. The ornate dagger fell to the floor with a clatter, but it didn't remain there for long; with a grace and dexterity Finn could only envy, she picked up the dagger between her two big toes and swiftly cut the bindings from her hand. Xyn was still struggling to rise as Kyra cut the last of her bindings and stood up from her chair.

Xyn took a swipe at her, her arm lengthening in mid-swing, but Kyra dodged aside well before it came close to hitting her. Finn shuffled his chair around; with Kyra loose, it was much easier to move.

Neukaraans are by their nature graceful creatures, and Xyn was no exception. There was a strange economy in her motions as she fought Kyra; much as when she struck Finn, her blows seemed to come from swings that seemed almost lazy.

Even her natural grace was no match for Kyra, though; Kyra moved like a creature possessed, while maintaining a smoothness in her motions that in many ways seemed more graceful than that of Xyn. Her body flexed almost unnaturally as she leapt about the floor, the walls, and even the ceiling, always somehow managing to avoid Xyn's attacks. It didn't even seem like she was really dodging; every time a punch was thrown, Kyra simply wasn't there anymore.

Something about it seemed familiar, Finn realized. Something recent … but what? He tried to think, but the repeated blows to his head made his thoughts hazy.

Despite their differences, the two were an even match for each other. It came down to which of them was the first to make a mistake.

Letting out a snarl of frustration, Xyn made a clumsy swipe at Kyra that the quarian easily evaded and countered with a quarian boot to the head. Xyn fell to the floor in a heap as Kyra landed easily a few feet away.

She rushed over to Finn and started cutting him loose. Flashing a glance at him, she asked, "You okay? Looks like she gave you one hell of a black eye."

"I'm fine." He told her, wincing in pain as she helped him stand.

The world swam in his vision alarmingly for a few moments. An overwhelming urge to go to sleep passed over him, but he managed to fight it off. Barely.

"Whoa, there!" Kyra said, holding on to his arm tightly until he managed to steady himself.

"Thanks." He tried to ignore the throbbing in his head long enough to figure out what they should do next.

Fortunately, a Kyra at least was thinking straight. Grabbing him by the arm, she pulled him along as she threw the door open and hurried out of the storage room.

From what Finn could tell, they were still in the hotel.

Seeing the male scaal that had been sweeping the lobby approach, Finn whispered. "He's not a scaal."

Kyra glanced at him, her eyes wide. "What?"

Sure enough, the scaal's form wavered and was replaced with the cold metal and glowing lights of a security mech. It raised a pistol.

Kyra was faster. She knocked the pistol into the air with a surprisingly high kick, caught it in mid-air, and blasted the mech in the chest. As it fell to the ground, she hurried back to Finn's side, saying, "How many more?"

Finn shook his head and instantly regretted it.

Pressing her lips together, Kyra nodded and helped Finn towards the lift. As she raised a hand to push the call button, they heard Xyn shout, "No!"

She emerged from the room, her eyes shining bright orange. Fire burst from her fingertips, scorching the walls as it blasted towards them.

Kyra managed to pull Finn away before the blast consumed them both. Not missing a beat, she yanked Finn towards the stairwell as the fire began to spread through the dry hallways.

Xyn chased after them, fire spreading more and more with every rage-filled burst.

As they neared the third floor landing, Finn heard the sound of metal-clad feet approaching from below."

"Good ol' Eri." Finn muttered, managing to walk on his own while still fighting a sense of grogginess.

Kyra peered over the railing and quickly pulled her head back, narrowly avoiding a hail of bullets. "More security bots." She told him. "A lot of them."

Since the stairway was too dangerous, they hurried onto the third floor landing and into the hallway. The fire hadn't spread there yet, but it was already getting hot. It made Finn's desire to sleep even worse, but he pushed through it.

They were halfway down the hall when they heard Xyn shouting again. The pain in her voice was hard for Finn to hear, but he didn't dare stop now. Fire erupted around them, but Kyra managed to pull them both through it and slip into the other stairwell.

A few security drones turned their way, but Kyra wasted no time in firing a shot into their twitching heads. As they collapsed, Finn heard someone below them shouting, "Finn! Finn, can you hear me?"

"Eri?" Finn called back. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me! Hurry down, man! This place is an inferno!"

"So much for the new fire suppression systems." Finn muttered.

Eri met them as they reached the first floor, a trail of security bots in his wake. Peering at Finn, he winced and said, "Damn, Finn; you look uglier than usual."

"Thanks for that." Finn replied, a grin slipping onto his face nonetheless.

Patting his shoulder companionably, Eri said, "Let's get outta here before this place comes down!"

The three of them made a run for the main entrance, and not a moment too soon; the fire was already starting to spread across the first floor.

Finn glanced back as they left, only to see Xyn staring at him from the end of the hallway. The look on her face was one anger and despair.

"Come on, Finn!" Kyra said, pulling him through the door.

There was a small crowd around the flaming remains of the hotel. Several shuttles were flying around it, spraying the building with water in an attempt to douse it, but it looked as though it wouldn't be enough. Jake was practically dancing just down the steps, his cartoon face filled with worry.

As they hurried down the steps, a loud crash came from the building.

"Damn." Eri said, his eyes wide. "Sounds like the bottom floor collapsed.

Finn stared at the flames for some sign of Xyn, but nothing came. Despite what had happened, despite the fact that she would have doubtlessly killed Kyra, he couldn't help but feel guilty.

"There was nothing you could've done, Finn." Kyra told him sympathetically, no doubt seeing the look on his face.

"Life is a tapestry of hellos and goodbyes." He murmured.

"Huh?"

Without warning, he started running back to the hotel.

"Finn!" Kyra shouted after him, panic in her voice now.

Finn didn't stop; he couldn't stop, or he knew he'd lose his resolve.

Flames practically covered the entire Lobby as he rushed through the door. Coughing as the smoke started to fill his lungs, Finn stumbled forward. The smoke made his eyes tear up, but as he pushed through it, he saw Xyn. Eri had been right; part of the upper floor had fallen. She was pinned beneath a heavy beam.

"Xyn!" He shouted, kneeling by her side. "Xyn, can you hear me?"

She didn't respond; from the look of it, she was knocked out.

Finn grabbed the beam and immediately let go as the metal burned his hand. He pulled his shirt off and wrapped his hand as much as he could before trying again.

Straining every muscle he had still didn't move it; the beam was solid steel, and probably weighed several times more than he did.

The fires were getting closer now. Finn looked around desperately for something, anything to help him

A hand came down on his shoulder. He looked back to see Mannon, Darsan, and Eri standing behind him.

"Help me." He said, coughing.

They paused for a moment before moving beside him. Stretching out Finn's shirt as much as possible, they each grabbed the beam. With a massive amount of effort, the heavy beam slowly rose from the ground.

Kyra darted between the three of them and grabbed Xyn under her arms. Once she pulled the scaal free from the beam, she shouted, "She's free!"

The beam fell with a loud crash. Although he felt far from stable himself, Finn knelt down and picked up Xyn's inert body. His body was sore, his skull throbbed, and he felt as though he had just smoked a pack of cigarettes in the last minute, but somehow he found the strength to follow the others to the entrance and out the door.

At his appearance, the crowd gave a cheer. Finn staggered towards a paramedic shuttle that had landed nearby, but he had pushed his endurance too far.

Darsan caught Finn and Xyn before they could fall.

"Concerned; are you okay, Finn?"

Finn tried to open his mouth, but it didn't seem to be working at the moment. As he slipped into unconsciousness, the last thing he saw were the tears staining Xyn's cheeks.


	20. Chapter 20 - On the Mend

Chapter 20

**On the Mend**

Finn awoke with an intense feeling of vertigo. As awareness slowly returned, he realized he was sitting in a hospital bed.

He tried to sit up, and immediately regretted it. His entire body felt like it had been worked over by a krogan battlemaster. On the plus side, he realized glumly, the swelling in his eye had gone down enough for him to see out of it again.

A panel on the wall abruptly changed into an image of an asari in a doctor's outfit.

"Good afternoon, Mister Cresste." She said pleasantly. "Can you tell me how you're feeling today?"

"I'd tell you, but mother told me not to use naughty words."

The asari's smile twitched slightly, as though she wanted to laugh but was far too professional to actually do so. "You had a nasty concussion, Mister Cresste. What is the last thing you remember?"

"We were running out of Glendale Apartments." A sense of alarm suddenly rushed through him.

Sitting up despite the pain it caused him, Finn asked, "Xyn! Is Xyn okay?"

"Please, Mister Cresste, lay back down."

The firmness in her voice made it clear she wasn't going to say anything until he did as she said. With a sigh, he lay back in the bed.

Nodding approvingly, the asari continued, "You had some minor burns as well, but nothing that shouldn't heal with the proper treatments. As for your scaal friend, she seems to be pulling through physically."

Something about the way she emphasized 'physically' caught Finn's attention. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, as far as we can tell, but she's refused to speak. I'm told that's normal for scaal who've lost their bond-mate. We also detected significant amounts of Nektar in her blood stream."

"Nektar." He replied, his spirits sinking. It was bad enough he broke her heart, but driving her to abusing drugs made him feel like a complete heel.

The asari doctor gave him a reassuring smile. "You look like you could use some cheering up."

The screen went blank. Finn stared at it for a few minutes of silence before the door to his room opened seemingly of its own volition.

Jake bounded into the room and hopped up onto the bed, his tail end wagging happily. "Finn! You're alive! Ha!"

"Hey, Jake." Finn said, rubbing the top KEI-9 unit's head. "It's good to see a friendly face."

"Hey, I had to come check on my kid brother, right? Still can't believe what happened with Xyn, man."

"I know." Finn said, shaking his head. "I can't get it out of my mind."

"It's not your fault, man. I heard about the Nektar; you know how that stuff hits Neukaraans. Apparently, she's been taking it for awhile."

"Awhile as in five years?" Finn asked, unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

Jake gave him a stern look. "Come on, Finn; you tried to help her. Things just got out of hand, that's all."

"Yeah." Finn felt worse than ever. Part of him wanted to crawl back to the Ulasomorf and just wallow in the shower for a few hours.

"Cheer up, buddy. Hey Godot got our transponder fixed, and he didn't find any bugs onboard, squishy or otherwise. It finally looks like we might be in the clear!"

"Good." Finn replied. "I want to get off this rock as soon as I'm back on my feet."

"Sure, man. Sure thing. We're all just waiting on you."

Something in Jake's tone made Finn suspicious. "Just how long was I out, anyway?"

"Three days. Apparently there was a bit of internal trauma. No worries, though; they say you'll be as good as new by tomorrow."

Finn sighed. "Good enough to get out of here, I hope."

"Yeah. Hey, I'll go grab the others. You wait right here."

"Sure thing." Finn said, waving as Jake ran out of the room.

Finn stared up at the ceiling for a few moments before closing his eyes. He must've drifted off, because it seemed like merely seconds later that Jake came running into the room again, the rest of the Ulasomorf's crew behind him.

"Pleased; you are looking well, Finn." Darsan said.

Eri laughed. "Well, you look about as goofy as you usually do. Still, you look better without the black eye."

"Thanks." Finn told him, grateful for the distraction his friends provided. "Sorry if I made anyone worry."

"That's okay. If I've learned anything, it's that you're a stubborn bastard. Er, sir." Mannon told him, claiming the chair moments before Eri.

Finn chuckled. "True enough."

As he looked around the room, he noticed there was one face that was absent. He started to ask where she was, but ultimately remained silent. After what happened with Xyn, she probably took a ship back to Omega.

Shaking his head, Finn asked, "So, what have you lot been up to for the past few days?"

"Oh, not much." Eri said, leaning against the wall. "Taking it easy, mostly. I tried to ask around about the people chasing us, but seeing as they've left nothing for us to go on, I can't say I've had any success."

"Any interesting rumors?" Finn asked curiously.

Mannon answered, "Well, the Yahg are petitioning for an embassy in the Citadel."

"Remind me not to go to the Citadel." Finn said with a chuckle. "How about you, Darsan? Any luck?"

"Reservedly; not in terms of information, but I did manage to find a friendly asari."

"What." Eri said flatly.

"Cheerily; we spent some quality time together, at such a good rate, too."

"You hired a hooker?" Mannon asked, her nervous nature completely brushed aside by shock and disgust.

"Feigning indignation; I'm no hooker. We both had needs, and she left me a little 'gift' in exchange for some tender loving care."

"Wait, wait, wait." Eri said, "You mean she paid you?"

"Smugly; Yep."

After a momentary pause, Eri added, "For sex?"

"Smugly; Yep."

The room was quiet for a moment while everyone in the room considered this, with the exception of Darsan. It's amazing how smug an elcor can manage to look, despite lacking any of the normal facial features usually required.

It was practically a godsend when Kyra came stumbling into the room.

"Whew!" She said cheerily, leaning on her knees for a moment as she caught her breath. "Sorry I'm late."

She gave Jimmy a hug, saying, "I'm glad to see you're okay."

Her eyes met his for a moment. There was something in her gaze that hadn't been there before; a strange sadness that in some ways made Finn feel even worse until her face broke into a wide smile.

"Feeling better?" She asked, sitting on the side of his bed.

"I am now." The words slipped out, or maybe he just didn't care anymore. Either way, he blushed.

She rubbed his cheek, saying, "Good."

Eri cleared his throat, possibly to remind the two of them that they weren't the only people in the room. "So, Captain; what's next on the list?"

"I told you -"

"-not to call you Captain on your ship, and I have respectfully refrained from doing so. However, as you may have noticed, we aren't on the Ulasomorf, so I can call you whatever I want, Captain."

Finn gave up. "Fine. I warn you, though; I'll remember this. As for what's next …"

"We can talk about that after he's discharged." Kyra said briskly, pushing a surprised Eri out of the room. She turned her sights on Mannon who quickly left the room, Darsan still looking smug as he followed behind her.

"Jake." Kyra said firmly, putting her hands on her hips.

"Huh? Oh, right. See you later, Finn."

As they left the room, Kyra shut the door behind them.

"Thanks." Finn told her as she sat back down on the side of his bed. "To be honest, I haven't thought much about where to go next."

"We can talk about that later." She said kindly.

Looking into her accepting eyes was too much for Finn. He could feel tears coming to his eyes.

"I screwed up, Kyra." He admitted. "I screwed up big. I wanted to help her, and all I did was cause her more pain."

"Shh." She whispered, holding a finger to her lips.

"No." Finn said, surprising them both with his firmness. "I need to tell you. I need you to know. I didn't know Xyn until the fire; when I first saw her, her bond-mate was already dead. She told me she was dead … that she wanted to die, but …"

"But you had to save her." Kyra finished, the same sadness as before in her eyes.

Nodding, Finn continued, "For weeks, she just sat in her room doing nothing. Just sitting there like a lifeless doll. Jake told me not to get involved … hell, even the other scaal told me to just let nature take its course. I couldn't do that."

Taking a shaking breath, he said, "My father died the year after I joined the Acadamy. I grieved his loss, but my mother was completely devastated; she just sat in her room and slowly withered away. I tried to help her, but it was like she was on another plane of existence. When she died, it was like she just … just stopped. And seeing Xyn going through the same thing, it brought all those memories back."

Kyra didn't attempt to stop him anymore; she listened intently, her hand holding his own tightly.

"Seeing her there, fading away like mom … I couldn't just stand by anymore. When she finally started to open up to me, I felt like I had redeemed my failure with my mother; that maybe, wherever my mother's spirit was, she could finally be at peace. We hung out a lot after that; it's hard to go through something like that without becoming friends. When she confessed her feelings to me, I was overwhelmed."

"Did you love her?" Kyra asked quietly.

Finn stared at her a long time before finally nodding. "In the end, yeah. I did. She's beautiful, and she sees the world in ways I can't even imagine. Sometimes, I'd wake up, and she'd have crawled into bed beside me. Sometimes we just sat out in the woods and stared at the stars for hours."

He let out a sigh. "But she didn't love me. She was clinging to me to keep from drowning in her own despair. The other scaal, they acted as though she wasn't even there; Jake and I were the only other people who ever visited her. She was still in pain from the death of her bondmate, and was desperate to fill the emptiness with something."

"At first, I thought it might not matter. I still cared for her, and she wasn't shy about showing her affection." He blushed, adding, "It never came to … you know, that, though. Apparently, I wasn't a complete idiot. The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that our entire relationship was a complete lie. I didn't know if I could live with that, even if she could."

"That's why you left." She said sadly.

"I thought if I was gone, she might be able to get on with her life, maybe find someone she could truly love. It's not unheard of for half of a pair bond to die, and even when she was with me, she turned more than a few heads. I thought she'd find someone new in no time, and eventually forget about me." Finn let out a hollow laugh. "And look how it turned out. God, I'm an idiot."

"Hey." Kyra whispered, pulling him into her arms.

Finn closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face as Kyra hugged him. "I just didn't want anyone else to be hurt because of me. I've messed up so many times trying to do what seemed right, and … "

"Shh." She whispered in his ear, her fingers running through his hair. "We're all broken, Finn. It's how we move past our flaws that makes us who we are."

After what felt like forever, Finn finally pulled away, sniffling.

"Feel better?" She asked, smiling at him.

"Not really." He admitted.

To his surprise, she leaned forward and kissed him. There was a sweetness to her breath that reminded him of fresh blackberries, and the softness of her lips against his made his brain go numb.

"How about now?" She asked, a shy smile on her face.

Finn didn't know what to say. A few synapses that hadn't fried themselves yet managed to fire off enough impulses for him to manage a nod.

"I know we haven't known each other that long." She told him, "But I've come to know you Finn, at least a little. You've got a kind heart."

She pulled a small jewelry box out of her pocket, blushing as she said, "I picked this up for you while you were out. It … well, it made me think of you."

Finn took the box in numb hands and slowly opened it; inside was a silver chain necklace with a heart-shaped bronze pendant. The heart had a small crack on one side that had two tiny silver bandages over it.

Words escaped him. Fortunately, none were necessary. She pulled him back into her embrace and rested her head against his shoulder.

One final tear escaped his eye as he whispered, "Thank you."

"Anytime." She whispered back.


	21. Chapter 21 - Revelations

Chapter 21

**Revelations**

Once the doctors gave him a clear bill of health, Finn left the hospital and headed for the Ulasomorf. He briefly considered speaking with Xyn again, but decided against it. His concern, however natural for someone like him, is what caused so much trouble in the first place.

Still, his heart felt lighter as he walked through the streets of New Elysia with Jake close behind him. Kyra's pendant rubbed against his chest with every step, its presence reminding him of what she told him at the hospital. His cheeks still burned when he thought of their kiss, his first. He wasn't entirely sure where that put their relationship, but it seemed promising. If only they could be sure their troubles with the mysterious organization were over.

Finn's jaw tightened with resolve; he was going to get to the bottom of this today. It was high time he spent a little time with Billy.

The cargo bay was empty as he and Jake entered the ship. Finn wasted no time in walking over to Billy. He opened the door and immediately froze; Kyra was inside.

She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Good morning, sweetie."

"Good morning." Finn managed, his hand brushing his cheek. "What's going on?"

She let out a sigh. "I was trying to crack the encryption on this ship. No Luck though. I can't even make the cloak work."

Finn frowned, saying, "Really?"

"No reason to brag." She said, glowering at Finn.

"I'm not … I mean, the cloaking function is part of the root command tree. Hardly hidden."

"I can't even access that." Kyra admitted. She suddenly looked at Finn. "Wait, can you?"

"Sure." He activated his omni-tool and held it out so she could see it.

"Huh. Well, that explains it; there's a master key program installed on this."

"A what?"

She glanced at Finn, a little surprised. "You don't know? Well, it's relatively new tech, I guess. Basically, a master lock installed over a computer system keeps anyone from accessing systems unless they have a key that allows it. It's kind of like administrator privileges unlocked using a login screen, but this actually works. If I'm looking at this right, you've basically got a master key; complete access to this ship."

"Huh. Must've auto-downloaded to my omni-tool when I opened the ship for Krieger." He mused.

Kyra waved her omni-tool over Finns. "There; that should let me crack this ship wide open."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Finn asked.

She glanced up at him. "Other than going away so I can work in peace?"

Hurt, Finn turned away, only to receive a sharp pinch on his posterior.

"Ow!" He glared back at Kyra balefully as he rubbed his … pride.

She gave him a playful smile. "Don't be so serious. Wanna meet up for lunch later?"

Staring at her made it impossible for him not to smile. "Sure. Just give me a call when you're ready. Say, have you seen the others?"

"Yeah, Darsan and Mannon just took the lift to the upper decks. I haven't seen Eri today, though."

Finn rode the lift up to deck three, only to find Mannon and Darsan in the middle of an argument.

"Annoyed; and the Alliance would handle it better?"

"Of course they'd handle it better! If you just put it on the market, all sorts of criminals are going to get their hands on it!"

"Persistant; we are not unscrupulous, Mannon. Screening customers to ensure that only honest merchants and station owners looking to protect themselves …"

"Don't give me that crap! You're going to sell to whoever shells out the money."

"Insultingly; what is worse, a common thug or a conquerer?"

Mannon's face went red. "Humanity is not out to enslave the galaxy!"

"Whoa!" Finn said, quickly moving between them. It was a silly move, he decided later; if Darsan wanted to attack Mannon (though it was doubtful the kind-hearted elcor would ever do such a thing), Finn was hardly going to stop him. "Calm down, both of you! What's going on here anyway?"

They both immediately started talking. Taking a deep breath, Finn shouted, "KNOCK IT OFF!"

They both stopped, looking a little stunned.

"My head is still a bit fluffy from my concussion." He told them, "So please, pretty please … on at a time."

Darsan and Mannon looked at each other for a moment before Mannon finally gestured for Darsan to start.

"Annoyed; Mannon informed the Alliance that we would be bringing them the ship."

"Billy." Jake said automatically.

Darsan looked down at Jake. "Questioningly; what is your obsession with calling the ship 'Billy'?"

"That's his name." Jake replied without a moment's hesitation. "He's Billy. You can't not call him by his name. That's just rude."

"Annoyed; how do you know his name is Billy?"

"He told me."

Darsan rolled his eyes. "Impatiently; of course he did."

"I didn't say I was going to give it to them." Mannon told Finn. "I said we would be bringing the ship … Billy, I mean, with us."

"Condescendingly; and apparently we're too stupid to realize that she's just going to hand it over. Pleading; Finn, you can't give the ship to the Alliance. Think about it! If we sold the ship to the Dekuuna Trade Commission, we could earn millions of credits, billions perhaps! We could rebuild J-27 even bigger than Omega!"

"It would be blood money!" Mannon said, glaring at Darsan. "Bandits could attack settlements without warning and get away without ever being held accountable!"

"Angrily; the DTC is not in the habit of selling goods to gangs and pirates!" Darsan retorted. "We are not fools; what would stop them from using them against us?"

Turning back to Finn, Darsan continued; "Reasonably; consider it, Finn; merchant vessels could pass through dangerous space with ease. If J-27 had a cloaking mechanism, perhaps it would not have been destroyed. I'm not saying criminals would never get their hands on it; of course they would. They're criminals; but that is just as true if you hand it over to the Alliance."

"They'd be buying it from you." Mannon retorted. "They'd have to steal it from the Alliance."

"And you think that would be a problem? If they weren't already perfectly fine with breaking the law, we wouldn't be calling them criminals."

"But it wouldn't be as easy for them to …"

Finn held up his hands again. Their argument was starting to give him a headache. "We aren't selling Billy or handing him over until we figure out where it came from. When we know more, we'll get everyone together and talk about it then so I can give everyone's opinions my full attention."

"We're hardly qualified to represent the interests of the galaxy." Mannon told him.

"Wrong." Finn told her. "We're uniquely qualified, because we're the ones getting shot at for having the damn thing."

Mannon stared at him open-mouthed, a hurt look on her face. For a moment, Finn was sure she was going to keep arguing, but instead she lowered her gaze and said in a defeated tone, "Yes, sir."

Realizing he might have been a bit too harsh, Finn patted her on the shoulder, saying, "Hey, we're all in this together. We're like a family: Darsan, Mannon, Finn, Jake … even Kyra and Eri."

Glancing at Darsan, Finn commented, "Which means you're the father figure, as alarming as that sounds."

"Jokingly; I've always felt more like a big brother to you crazy kids."

Finn and Mannon both chuckled at that.

Jake looked at them eagerly, asking, "Oh, what am I? The little brother? The crazy uncle?"

Mannon knelt down in front of him and rubbed the sides of his head, saying, "You're like the family puppy."

Jake let out a boyish giggle, his cartoon face blushing.

"We'll figure this out together." Finn told them. "For now, I'm thinking it's time to get moving."

"To Earth?" Mannon asked hopefully.

"We'll talk about it once everyone's on board." Glancing around, he asked, "Speaking of which, where is Eri?"

"Surprised; he's not with you?" Darsan asked. "He said he was going to the hospital to meet you when you were released."

"Huh." Finn scratched the side of his head, saying, "I didn't see him. We must've just missed each other."

Shaking his head, he told them, "If you have any more shopping to do, go ahead and do it now. We'll be leaving after lunch."

"Hopeful; Muonsol Café?" Darsan asked.

"Sure." Finn said, shrugging. We'll meet up here and head there after we figure out where we're heading next."

Finn walked slowly through the streets, taking in the sounds and smells of New Elysia. After all, he had no idea when or if he'd ever return.

His Omni-tool beeped, signaling an incoming message. Tapping the receive button, Finn said, "Hello?"

"HEY FINN, GODOT HERE. I WAS WONDERING …"

"Whoa!" Finn shouted, quickly turning his speaker volume down. Godot always had a bit of a volume problem while making calls. "Sorry; whatcha need, Godot?"

"Yeah, I was just wondering if you know a turian named Puttyra."

"Puttyra?" Finn's mind clicked. "P'Terya?"

"Yeah, that was it. She was here earlier asking about you. You aren't fooling around on that pretty quarian girl, are you?"

"Of course I'm … wait, how do you know we're together?"

"You were holding her shopping. Nothing shows a man is more whipped than when he's willing to be a donkey for the woman he loves."

"Gee, thanks." Finn shook his head, saying, "Thanks for the update, Godot."

"Hey, I gotta watch out for my boy, right?" With a final dry chuckle from Godot, the transmission cut out.

Aria's subterfuge didn't work, which only made his suspicions deepen. He put a little more speed in his step as he continued towards the hospital.

There was no sign of Eri outside the hospital or inside the lobby. Finn approached the front desk, where a human nurse was busily working at his console.

"Hey there." Finn said, leaning against the counter. "Could you help me out? I'm looking for a friend of mine."

"Name?"

"Uh, mine or his?"

The man flashed him a dirty look. "His."

"Ah, right. Eri Tyzuris."

"One moment." He tapped at his console for a few moments before saying, "He's not registered."

Realizing his mistake, Finn laughed and said, "No, sorry; he's not a patient. He probably came in here asking about Finn Cresste."

"Ah, yes; the turian with the green facial markings. He did ask about you, but when I told him you were discharged, he headed to the observatory wing of the hospital." The man pointed to the double doors to the right of the desk. "Keep going straight. You can't miss it."

"Thanks."

Finn hurried down the corridor as fast as he could without drawing too much attention to himself. Fortunately, he didn't have to go too far before he caught a glimpse of Eri's face through one of the room windows.

Eri spotted him almost immediately, and gestured for him to come inside. Finn turned the handle and opened the door.

"Hey Finn." Eri said pleasantly. "We were just talking about you."

Finn didn't respond; Xyn was sitting up in her bed, her eyes focused on him.

For a long moment, no one spoke. Xyn just continued to stare at him with her soulful eyes.

Clearing his throat, Eri said, "Maybe I should give you two a moment alone, eh?"

As he left the room, Finn let out a sigh and bowed his head so he didn't have to meet her gaze. "I know it doesn't help, but …"

"No."

He glanced up at her, surprised at the firmness of her tone. Nodding in acceptance, he started to turn towards the door.

"I'm sorry, Finn."

"You?" he began, confused. "I'm the one who …"

"You were right to leave." She had the voice of someone who was completely and utterly defeated. "I didn't think so at first; ever since Gail passed into the Beyond, my thoughts echo through our … my mind like the final notes of a sad melody."

"Then there was the note you left me; it filled me with thoughts of fire at first, but as your final words slipped through the emptiness of the void inside me, I realized that they were the truth. I …"

She closed her eyes. "I did not love you. You were my friend, but the feelings of fondness your company brought had no time to take root and grow. The bond Gail and I felt was born of years of unity. Such a thing could never truly be replaced."

"Maybe not replaced, Xyn." Finn told her. "But new bonds can be forged. New … er, cuttings can be …"

Blushing, he muttered, "Crap. I never was good with metaphors."

To his surprise, a small smile crossed Xyn's face. "I understand what you are trying to say, Finn … at least, I do now."

Her smile faded slightly. "It took years for my heart to mend, but for a time I began to feel the warmth of hope shining inside me. As the pain began to grow silent, I found myself reaching out to others; my brother and sister Neukaraans recently separated from their own bond mates. Gail and I never earned a great deal of money, but our meager funds coupled with what you left me allowed me to begin rebuilding the Glendale Apartments. For the first time since the fire, my life was moving forward."

She looked up at him. "Then you returned."

Finn fidgeted in his seat. "I'm sorry, Xyn, really I …"

"After so long, the man who helped me, the man who stood with me through the worst of the pain was again walking among the whispering elders. The void of my mind became cluttered with voices, whispers and suggestions and ideas. Try as I might, the true voice amidst the crowd of emotions within me could not be heard."

She lowered her gaze, a look of shame in her eyes. "So I took the Nektar."

"Jake mentioned that it looked like you had been taking it for some time." Finn said quietly, trying hard not to make it sound like an accusation.

"Small doses over the years, even before the fire." She told Finn. "The Nektar is not in and of itself a bad thing; it sharpens the senses, gives form to wisps of thought within the mind. When the void within me was too great, it filled the darkness and allowed me to paint."

She blushed, sounding ashamed as she continued, "But when I took the Nektar upon seeing you again, the peace it usually brought did not come. Where before it unified my thoughts, this time it only made my fears and uncertainties louder. I took a larger dose, but the voices grew even louder. Worse yet, one among them began to sound angry. I took more of the Nektar, hoping to silence them, and more, but the voices became deafening …"

She looked up at him again, sadness in her orange eyes. "When she appeared and spoke of you, I remembered how she had been with you in the market. The voices within me fell silent, save for one I thought had long departed."

"Ah." Finn said, realizing where she was going.

She blushed again, again looking ashamed. "That such feelings existed within me frightens me, Finn. That I was willing to take a life if it meant getting what I wanted shames me. And yet, when it would've been easier to let me die, you and your friends still came to my aid … and I find the remaining voice in the void asking a simple question that I can't answer: why?"

"Because you're my friend, Xyn." After a moment of hesitation, Finn put his hand over hers. "That's never changed. I can't be the bond mate you want, but I'm still your friend. Friends don't let friends die because they made one little mistake."

"I set Glendale apartments on fire, Finn." She replied, her mild tone tinged with a hint of disbelief. "I almost stabbed your girlfriend. I gave you concussion; we all could've died."

He waved it off, saying, "No one got hurt in the fire …er, apart from us, I mean. No harm, no foul. Besides, you just admitted you only did that stuff because of a Nektar overdose."

"That's only an excuse …" She began.

"We've all got those voices in us, Xyn." A grin slid over his lips. "We're all broken. It's how we move past our flaws that makes us who we are."

"Finn …" She replied, squeezing his hand. "Thank you."

"Thank Kyra." He told her. "She's the one who said it."

"Your girlfriend?"

Finn's smile widened. "Yeah, I guess she is."

"She's a wise woman." Xyn glanced at the door, adding, "So is your friend Eri, though I feel he has not yet come to terms with his own voices."

"Maybe." Finn conceded. "Maybe that's the whole point of life; figuring out which voice is truly who we are."

Xyn let out a giggle. "Now you're just making things up."

"Yeah, pretty much." He gave her another smile, saying, "It's a nice thought though, isn't it?"

Her warm smile was his only answer.


	22. Chapter 22 - Nunc id Vides,Nunc ne Vides

Chapter 22

**Nunc id Vides, Nunc ne Vides**

"So, how'd it go?" Eri asked as Finn left the room.

"We're mending." Finn said, unable to resist the urge to let out a sigh. "After everything that happened, it's silly to think it'll all be fixed in a single conversation. Still, I think our friendship will make it."

Finn eyed Eri, asking, "So why did you come here?"

"I wanted to have a word with your old friend, of course. I've never met a Neukaraan before; are they all like that?"

"You mean the metaphors?" Finn nodded, saying, "They're a very creative people. If you keep an open mind …"

Finn stopped in mid sentence; an asari had just staggered into the corridor from an adjoining hallway. With a start, Finn recognized her as the doctor who had been treating him.

She reached her arm out towards Finn and Eri, only to suddenly stiffen as a length of metal shot from her stomach.

As she fell to the floor, Finn realized that the length of metal was actually a katana. A brief surge of light flowed irregularly through the air, revealing a woman in light armor that covered every inch of her body. There was a strange mark on her forehead that caught Finn's eye. It looked vaguely like a six-sided crystal help up by lines on either side.

As the assassin looked up at them, Finn found himself paralyzed. Fortunately, Eri had the presence of mind to grab Finn's arm and pull him back into Xyn's room.

Xyn looked up, surprised at first but then concerned when she saw Finn's face. "What has occurred?"

"Looks like our friends caught up with us." Eri shook Finn out of his shock, saying, "Lock the door, genius!"

"R-right." Finn activated his omni-tool and quickly scrambled the door functions. It'd take hours to reassemble the code connecting the control to the door, but apparently the corridor wasn't an escape option at the moment.

"I don't understand." Xyn said, her eyes wide as Eri forced open the window.

Eri shot a glance at Finn, saying, "You wanna tell her?"

"We're being chased by some mystery organization because of Billy." Finn replied, trying to get it all out as quickly as possible.

Xyn naturally looked confused. "Who is Billy!"

Finn opened his mouth to answer when the thin metal blade shot through the door, narrowly missing his arm.

"Come on, Finn!" Eri said, already halfway out of the window.

Finn started to follow when his eyes fell on Xyn. She looked utterly bewildered by this turn of events.

"Can you walk?" Finn asked, holding out his hand.

"W-what?" She stammered, blushing.

"What?" Eri asked, poking his head back through the window.

Finn jerked a thumb at the door as the assassin continued stabbing her sword through the heavy metal around the locking clamps. "They just killed a doctor for being in the way. Do you think they're just going to walk by Xyn?"

Looking back at Xyn, Finn said, "I can't just leave you hear to get slaughtered, or I'd be an even worse friend than I already am."

Eri glanced at the both of them for a moment before saying, "Fine. Welcome to the team, Xyn. Now can we get moving?"

Finn helped Xyn stand. She stood a few inches taller than him, and Finn was wearing boots with thick soles.

"You first." He told her as the door began to rattle from the force of the blows.

"I gotcha." Eri said, helping Xyn out of the window. "Come on, Finn!"

Finn wasted no time in climbing through the window. He was barely halfway out when the door slammed open. The assassin leapt over the bed towards Finn, blade outstretched.

With a yelp, Finn fell out of the window. Eri grabbed the pane and slammed it down on the blade, trapping it momentarily as it slid through the air over Finn's head.

Xyn tugged Finn away from the blade, her eyes wide with alarm. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" He managed as he regained his footing. "That's not going to hold her for long. Let's go!"

Finn, Eri, and Xyn ran through the streets like bats out of hell. Despite her stay in the hospital, Xyn was capable of far outpacing the human and the turian, but was forced to slow down as she followed them.

Finn was surprised he was able to keep up with both of them; he was in reasonable shape, he supposed, but it wasn't like he ran on a regular basis or anything. Thinking back, he realized he had been oddly light on his feet of late.

As they ran into the fountain square, Finn noticed a large old-Earth truck with a load of dirt in the bed. The vehicle was beyond ancient; despite their situation, Finn couldn't help but wonder how it came to be on New Elysia. A gardener was taking the dirt and spreading it around an old flowerbed that must've died out during the last winter.

Finn grabbed the gardener by his overalls, asking, "How much?"

"I b-beg your pardon?"

"For the truck, dirt and all. How much?"

"I dunno, ten-thousand credits?" The gardener said, his eyes wide.

Finn activated his omni-tool and quickly waved it over the gardeners, hoping against hope that he had the necessary funds. To both of their amazement, he did.

"Really?" the gardener said, sounding delighted. "I was just … er, going now. Enjoy the truck!"

As Finn climbed in the truck, Eri asked, "What're you doing?"

"Trying to save us some time." Finn cranked the ignition, which reluctantly started. "Besides, if Xyn's staying with us, she'll need a bed. Now get in!"

Xyn had already climbed into the back of the truck (the front seat only had room for two people anyway), and had already rooted herself firmly into the rich earth.

A group of soldiers burst into the square directly in front of Finn and company just as the truck started rolling. Finn noticed that the soldiers' faceplates were basically a stylized version of the same symbol the assassin bore

"There they are!"

Finn couldn't tell which one of the soldiers spoke, nor did he care. He slammed his foot down on the accelerator.

The soldiers dove out of the way, barely avoiding being flattened by the truck as it zoomed past at a surprisingly fast speed.

For a few moments, it seemed as though they had made their escape. Just as Finn started to breathe a sigh of relief, however, a burst of fire blasted one of the nearby solar-powered street lights into scrap. Finn could only catch a glimpse of the shadow slowly approaching them. Fortunately, Eri wasn't busy driving and was able to get a better look.

"A gunship?!" He said incredulously. "They brought a friggin gunship?!"

Swearing, Finn swerved down an adjoining street. The gunship followed easily and soon began to fire at the rapidly retreating vehicle once again.

As the bullets drew near the vehicle, however, a glowing shield appeared around the truck. When the bullets hit the shield, they stopped moving instantaneously and fell to the ground.

Xyn was standing up on the dirt, roots trailing from around her legs as she held her hands out. Her eyes now glowed blue, the same color as the shield around them. Tiny wisps of blue-green energy flowed from her hands as she protected them with her natural neukaraan gifts.

Finn knew from experience it wouldn't last; the neukraraan's 'magic' took a lot of energy, and it was clear that Xyn was still a little weak from the incident at the Glendale Apartments. Finn looked around desperately for another solution when he recalled his conversation with Godot.

Swerving around a group of tourists who didn't have the mind to get out the truck's path, Finn started hugging the side of the road with the most trees. At first, nothing happened; the gunship continued following them unhindered.

Just as Finn started to wonder if Godot had been wrong, one of the trees suddenly swatted at the passing gunship as though it were a particularly annoying fly. The gunship only caught a glancing blow, but the force of the hit was enough to send it careening down to the street.

Eri leaned back in his seat, saying in a rather relieved tone, "New Elysia is kinda nice, isn't it?"

The truck barreled through the docking area, sending people running in all directions as it hurtled towards the Ulasomorf. Fortunately, the cargo bay of the Ulasomorf was open. Finn could just make out Darsan directing a turian carrying a box up the ramp and into the ship.

Finn hammered the horn as they approached, but Darsan had already noticed their approach. He grabbed the turian and pulled him out of the way mere seconds before the truck hit the ramp. The truck was airborn for a few moments before hitting the ground and skidding across the bay, coming to a stop only a few inches from the Gradisian.

"Shocked; Finn! What the heck are you trying to …"

"What's going on?" Kyra had stepped out of Billy and was looking at the truck in bewilderment. Her eyes widened when she saw who was with him. "Xyn? What are you-"

"Bad guys right behind us." Finn said, quickly climbing out of the truck. "We need to go, right now! Is Mannon aboard?"

"Alarmed; she is on the bridge." Darsan glanced at the slack-jawed turian holding the box, who quickly set the box on the ground and quickly fled.

"Get the cargo doors shut." Finn shouted, already running towards the bridge.

Mannon glanced up as Finn burst onto the bridge. Her lips pursed with the obvious question, but after staring at him for a moment, she simply nodded and quickly moved to her station. As Eri came jogging onto the bridge, Finn strapped himself into his chair and activated the helm controls.

"Intercom's open." Mannon told Finn.

Nodding, Finn said, "Okay, everybody, we're heading out. Kyra, get to the engine room and do what you can to prepare for streaming. Jake, you go with her and help out however you can. Xyn and Mannon …"

Finn fought a moment to think of something for them to do. Coming up with nothing, he simply said, "Strap in to whatever you can; there's no telling what we'll be running into once we're out of orbit."

Once the docking clamps released, Finn brought the Ulasomorf out of the docking area. Not a moment too soon, either; several of the mysterious soldiers were already in the docking bay and quickly heading their way. They opened fire, but the Ulasomorf's kinetic fields held strong.

"Ease off the incline." Eri warned.

"I know!"

"Ease off, or we're gonna …"

"I know!"

Finn was pushing the Ulasomorf as much as he dared; as soon as they were away from the planet, he'd enter FTL. From there, they were a quick stream away from freedom.

The ship shook alarmingly for a few moments, but then they were free of the planet's gravity field and back in the starry expanse. Unfortunately, they didn't get to enjoy the peace for long.

"Incoming!" Eri called out, "Six fighters and a frigate. Blue Suns."

"Blue Suns?" Mannon asked, alarmed. "Were they the ones on the planet?"

"The soldiers on the planet were those mystery guys." Finn said as he plotted a course away from the majority of the enemy ships. "I guess they aren't as eager to risk their own fighters after the pasting I gave them outside of Omega."

A few shots hit the Ulasomorf's shields, but soon most of the enemy fighters were behind him.

"All right." Fin said as he brought the FTL drive online, "Let's go!"

The Ulasomorf shot forward. The Blue Suns fighters didn't follow (hardly surprising, Finn realized when he thought back to it later, it would be expensive and silly for the Blue Suns to outfit hundreds of fighter ships with eezo drives), but the frigate entered FTL right behind them. It wasn't closing in on them, but it certainly wasn't going away either.

"Okay." Finn said, forcing his eyes open. "Everyone get ready!"

He began to inch the ship forward in the mass effect field. Just as he began to see the edges in his strained vision, he pushed into the Stream.

For a few moments, he felt that strange sense of bliss and wonder as he stared wide-eyed into the expanse of space. It was like there was something beyond what he was seeing, something he was slowly beginning to grasp.

His reverie was cut short as the ship suddenly fell out of the stream. Their momentum kept them in FTL, but the emergency thrusters were automatically firing to slow their momentum.

"What the … " Finn mumbled, still a little dazed.

"Finn!" Kyra shouted over the intercom, "The eezo engine's busted!"

"What?" Finn exclaimed.

"Your Streaming fried the engine!" She replied, her voice scolding despite the enormity of the situation. "It's gonna take at least an hour to fix!"

"We don't have an hour." Eri said, his eyes on the sensor controls. "They still have a bead on us, and their FTL drive is still working."

Finn stared at the controls disbelievingly. Had he messed up? Was he to blame again?

"Finn!" Mannon's voice brought him out of the chaos. "The emergency thrusters are slowing us down. Can we stop them?"

"R-right." Finn quickly disabled the emergency thrusters. They were still going fairly quickly, but they were definitely going at less than FTL at that point.

Finn glanced at Eri, asking, "How much time?"

Eri shook his head, saying, "Maybe twenty minutes? They're at the edge of our sensors, but if we can read them, they definitely can read us."

"Okay." Realizing he was on the edge of panic, Finn forced himself to take a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Options?"

"Kyra?"

"Not a chance." She replied, sounding a little out of breath. "An hour, thirty minutes if you aren't worried about it being a bit sloppy."

Finn let out a frustrated sigh. "It won't make much of a difference either way."

"I'm sorry, Finn. That's the best I can do."

"Don't be sorry." He told her. "This wasn't your fault."

Silence fell over the bridge. After a few moments, Finn realized there was one option. It wasn't a good one, but it was all he had, and he'd be damned if he was going to sit by while his friends were killed.

He rose, saying, "I'm going to have to try and take it down."

Eri quickly stood and stopped Finn before he could leave the bridge. "You can't take out a frigate with one fighter! It's suicide!"

"Maybe I don't have to. They're after the ship, Eri! If I take the ship, maybe I can distract them long enough for Kyra to finish the repairs and …"

Mannon hit her console, drawing both of their attention.

"Do you want to die, Finn?"

The question caught him off-guard. "I don't …"

"Do you want to die?" She demanded. "Eri told me that you were perfectly willing to try and rescue me from the Blue Suns with no plan. On New Elysia, you ran into a burning building to save a crazy woman who tried to murder you. I thought the whole streaming thing was crazy; risking so much just for a speed boost, but when you're streaming, it's like you're challenging the Universe. Now, you're perfectly willing to sacrifice yourself for the mere chance that they'll follow you instead of us. I'm no genius, but it sounds like you have a death wish."

"I can't just sit by when people are in danger!"

"I understand that, but did you think where we'd end up with you gone? Who is going to fly the ship? Hell, Darsan and I would practically be at each other's throats if it weren't for you. And what about Kyra? Did you think about her, or are you still trying to redeem yourself?"

Finn stared at her; somehow, her last words were the ones that struck the hardest.

"You're right." He whispered. "I just … I don't want to be responsible for anyone else's pain anymore."

Mannon's gaze softened. "We've all made mistakes, Finn; you said it yourself; that's why we were on J-27."

"That's why we're on the Ulasomorf." Eri said quietly. "Now come on; if anyone can think of a plan to get us all out of this safely, it's you."

Finn stared at them both for a few moments before saying, "Thanks … both of you."

"Hey, don't start getting mushy on me." Eri said with a laugh. "I just didn't want to see you get blasted."

Finn froze. "What did you say?"

"I said I didn't want you to see you get blasted." With another chuckle, he said, "Besides, if you're gone, how will I get paid?"

Realization dawned on Finn like the light of a rising star. "Kyra, you still there?"

"I'm here, Finn. I heard everything."

Finn blushed, but quickly forced his thoughts into the 'later' category. "I've got an idea, but I'm gonna need your help. Meet me in the cargo bay. Jake, I need you on the bridge to pilot the ship."

"Finn?" Mannon asked, a worried look on her face.

"Don't worry about it." He told her much more calmly than he felt. "Eri, keep me updated on our friends out there. She's gonna need my help with this."

"You want to what?" Kyra asked, disbelief clear on her face.

Finn patted the hull of Billy, saying, "I want to extend the range of Billy's cloaking device to encompass the ship. The cloak just produces a field that bends light around Billy, right? Can't we just … make it bigger? Pump in more power and alter the field so it covers all of us?"

A look of wonder spread across her face. "Maybe … yeah, we could hook it into the ship's power grid. From there, it's just a matter of maintaining the field! I'll need some tools to …"

Finn held up his bag of tools, saying, "Like these?"

She took them from him, smiling.

Together, they managed to open up a maintenance hatch on the Billy's rear. The cloaking field generator was about fairly large, so it took both of them to bring it to the engine room.

It was going so well that Finn just knew something was likely to go wrong. Unfortunately, he was correct.

"Damn!" Kyra muttered, stepping away from the cloaking generator. "Billy's energy source must not be the same as ours."

"It won't work?" Finn asked, trying hard to ignore the sinking sensation in his chest.

She stood back and wiped the sweat off her forehead with a smudged rag. "I think the idea is sound, but we need a power converter."

An odd feeling came over Finn. "A power converter, you say?"

"Yeah, but we don't have anything like that in storage. Maybe we could … where are you going?"

"Be right back." Finn told her as the lift doors closed.

As the lift reached the cargo bay, Eri's voice rang through the ship. "Ten minutes!"

"Thank you, Eri!" Finn shouted, squeezing through the lift doors before they finished opening. He ran to the Gradisian and quickly opened the storage compartment. To his relief, the power converters and the sensor array he had picked up from Krieger were still inside. Grabbing the converters, he whispered, "All according to plan."

Kyra's eyes went wide when Finn held out the practically brand new zuon-tech power converters. "Keelah! Where the heck did you find these?"

"It's a long story." He told her. "They'll work, right?"

"Definitely." She knelt beside the improvised housing of the cloaking generator and started working on connecting the device to the ship. "I'll have it up and running in …"

"Seven minutes, Finn!" Eri's voice called out.

Kyra met Finn's gaze, a brief look of concern quickly changing to a smile. "I can get it done in less than five. It's going to take a lot of power, though, and we'll need to be at a complete halt so I can calibrate the cloaking field."

"Don't worry." He told her. "I've got an idea about that too."

Finn emerged on the bridge a few minutes later, a massive smile on his face. Eri seemed uncertain whether this was a good or bad portent.

"You gonna let us in on the plan?"

"I'm gonna make us disappear."

Mannon and Eri both looked alarmed at this, but it only made Finn laugh harder. "Don't worry; then I'll make us reappear."

Jake hopped out of the seat so Finn could sit down. As Finn did so, he activated the systems that controlled the Ulasomorf's salvage probes.

"Five minutes." Eri glanced at Finn, saying, "What are you doing?"

"The hardest part isn't making us disappear." Finn told them as he reprogrammed one of the probes from his console. "The tricky part is to make it look like we're still there."

The beep from Eri's console let Finn know he had succeeded. Eri glanced at the control panel disbelievingly for a moment before saying, "Finn … I'm reading another Ulasomorf directly beneath us."

"That's just silly." Finn told him, grinning even wider. "There's only one Ulasomorf."

He finished up the last few details moments before Kyra's voice called out, "It's hooked up, Finn!"

"Excellent." Finn said, letting out another laugh. "Launching!"

"Launching?!" Mannon asked, incredulously.

"Yup!" Finn launched the salvage probe. "Be a dear, and shut down everything you can except engineering, sensors, life support, and the emergency thrusters."

Uncertainly, she nodded and turned back to her console. "A-alright …"

Eri's console beeped again. "What the …" He began when a look of realization passed over the turian's face. "You magnificent bastard!"

"What?" asked Mannon, looking between the two of them for some clue of what was going on.

"Bring us to a halt now!" Finn said cheerily.

The emergency thrusters flared at full power, slowing the ship until it was merely drifting forward.

"We're ready!" Finn said as he deactivated the emergency thrusters again.

Kyra replied, "Okay! Here we go!"

The ship lights flickered as presumably the cloaking device came online. The look of triumph Eri shot him told him everything he needed to know.

Leaning back in his chair, Finn said, "Hey, Jake; how's it going? We haven't had much time to talk lately."

Jake looked at him uncertainly. "Uh, is now really the time?"

"I've always got time for my bro." He said, holding a fist up for Jake to bump. Jake did so, a strange grin on his face.

"What is going on?" Mannon demanded. "Why are we just sitting here? What did you just …"

The Blue Suns frigate shot past them, little more than a burst of light. Eri looked at the controls for a few moments before saying, "They aren't slowing down. Damn, Finn! I think you pulled it off."

"We." Finn corrected, raising a finger. "We pulled it off."

As he walked off of the bridge, his head held high while Jake trotted happily beside him, a very confused Mannon called out, "What just happened?"


	23. Chapter 23 - Lull

Chapter 23

**Lull**

Finn waited patiently as the others entered the cargo bay. When they asked him about what had just happened, he only shook his head and told them to wait until everyone was there.

As Darsan shuffled into the room, Finn clapped his hands together, saying, " Okay then, let's get this meeting going."

"But what of Kyra?" Xyn asked, glancing at the others. "Is your love not a member of this crew?"

"I'm listening." Kyra said over the intercom. "Someone's gotta fix the engine and keep an eye on our new toy."

Nodding, Finn said, "So, with our ship in the beautiful Kyra's capable hands, I thought it was a good idea to bring everyone up to speed. First off, I'm sure most of you recognize our newest crew member."

Xyn bowed her head, saying, "Despite the circumstances of our original meeting, I am honored to be a part of this crew."

"Concerned; I'm not sure about this, Finn." Darsan said, shuffling his massive feet. Mannon, Eri, and Jake seemed to mirror his concerns.

"Well, don't be." Finn told him. "She saved our bacon back in New Elysia with her … what do you call that anyway, Xyn?"

"Jyyu'kalste."

Finn considered this for a moment before nodding and saying, "Magic, got it. Like a biotic, but better."

"I can mend physical wounds and manipulate the flow of energy into various forms." She gave them a tentative smile, a slight blush in her cheeks. "I understand your trepidation. I cannot express my regret in my recent actions enough."

An unpleasant silence fell across the room. Finally, Mannon nodded briskly and said, "If you think she can help, then fine."

It wasn't exactly an olive branch, but it was good enough for Finn. "Fair enough. Kyra?"

"Huh?"

Finn couldn't help but grin. "You have a problem with Xyn joining us?"

"Only if she tries to set us on fire again. Also, Xyn?"

"Yes, Miss Kyra?" Xyn asked hesitantly.

"Finn's off-limits. Period. Got it?"

Xyn blushed and lowered her gaze. "I understand."

"In that case, welcome aboard!" Kyra said, her voice cheery. "We'll swap gossip once I finish up with this mess. So, what's next on the agenda, Cap'n?"

Finn let out a resigned sigh. "If I asked you not to call me Captain, would you listen?"

"Nope, but thanks for asking, sweetie."

Eri let out a small cough that sounded suspiciously like it was masking a laugh.

Shaking his head but smiling nonetheless, Finn continued, "Okay, on to the next subject; our next destination."

"Whoa!" Mannon said, holding up a hand to stop him. "Wait just a minute; what the hell happened back there? How in the hell did we get away?"

"Curious; yeah, I was wondering about that myself."

"Oh, that?" Finn asked, surprised. "Easy. We rigged Billy's invisibility generator up to the ship using the power converter I picked up from Krieger for Mannon before we left J-27, then I rigged our transponder to one of Krieger's salvage probes, reprogrammed its thrusters to continuously fire so that when I finally launched it, it would look like we were speeding up. As far as the Blue Suns are concerned, we made a break for it when in fact, we were barely moving."

"That easy, huh?" Mannon said, a dazed expression on her face.

"Impressed; that was quick thinking, Finn. I just wish I could've been some help in our great escape."

Finn patted Darsan on the shoulder, saying, "Oh, but you did. You're what brings us all together, Darsan."

Darsan gave one of his rare smiles. "Happily; Don't I know it?"

"So," Finn said, clapping his hands together, "Once the ship is fixed, we'll be streaming to …"

"Ahem."

Finn glanced up at the intercom speaker, saying, "My bad. Of course I meant to say, we'll be flying at perfectly normal FTL speeds and in no way goofing around with the mass effect fields to the nearest relay, where we'll head to the Sol system."

"We're going to Earth?" Mannon asked, her eyes brightening like those of a child on Christmas morning.

Finn nodded, dropping the cheery act for a more serious tone. "I thought maybe we could get through this, but this time was just too close. As much as I'd love to get the money and rebuild J-27, all the money in the galaxy won't help if we're not alive to spend it. Objections?"

Everyone took turns glancing at each other for a few moments before finally nodding in agreement.

Turning to Mannon, Finn said, "Once we get to the Sol system, send a message to the Alliance so that they know we're coming. I'd hate for us to get shot down because our transponder is missing."

Glancing around at the rest of the team, he said, "Everyone else, get some rest or do whatever it is you usually do."

"I'll stay on the bridge." Eri told Finn. "Someone needs to keep an eye open in case those thugs double-back."

"Good thinking." Finn admitted. "Okay then. Er, dismissed."

Mannon almost snapped a salute before she caught herself. Blushing, she followed Eri to the bridge. As the rest of the team dispersed, Finn decided to go pay Kyra a visit after making a quick stop.

Finn hadn't been able to really get a look at the engine room earlier. It was on the far end of deck three, past all of the collection rooms. The engine room itself was dominated by a massive eezo core surrounded with all manner of protective fields and mechanisms, extending to the deck above as well. The metal walkways ran around a cluster of controls encircling the base of the core, including the cloaking-field generator.

Kyra was working on (or rather, under) one of the central consoles. As Finn approached, she called out, "Be with you in a minute."

Finn started to respond when a mischievous thought crossed his mind. He leaned over and give her a quick pinch in the backside.

"Dah!" There was a thump as she tried to stand up under the console. Wincing, she backed out of the console and glared balefully at Finn. "What was that for?"

"Sorry. I couldn't resist." He held up a couple of omni-bars and a bottle of water, asking, "Lunch?"

She gave him a reluctant smile as she took a bar and a bottle from him. "Hey, you can't call me that. You're sweetie, not me."

"Oh, well excuse me. What would you like me to call you? Darling? Butterfly? Pumpkin?"

Kyra snorted. She grabbed his hand and yanked him down so that he was sitting beside her. "You could just call me Kyra."

"Damn." He said with mock annoyance. "And here I was thinking you didn't know my middle name was actually 'Sweetie'."

"Well, you are a sweetie." She told him, laughing for a moment before giving him a kiss on the tip of his nose.

Finn took a bite of his omni-bar. It tasted like a hunk of cardboard.

His disgust must've shown on his face. After taking a bite of her own bar, Kyra asked, "Not a fan?"

"Not really. It just tastes like … well, nothing. It's so bland. Fine for a ration, I guess, but it's no replacement for real food." He looked at her curiously. "Do you like them?"

"Not really. That's the problem with omni-foods; they can't really add much in terms of flavoring without making it strictly levo or dextro." She gave him a hopeful look, asking, "I don't suppose you can cook any of that stuff Darsan bought."

"Shall I impress you with my famous grilled cheese sandwich or a bowl of ramen noodles, milady?"

She giggled as he stood and offered her his hand. "Milady, huh? I like that. Makes me sound all fancy."

They headed up to the kitchen, where Kyra took a seat while Finn examined the foodstuffs in the larder. Darsan had been quite thorough in regards to variety, and had even thought to throw in a few stronger drinks into the fridge.

Finn grabbed two hard lemonades and passed one to her, saying, "Here ya go. I don't know about you, but I could use a little relaxation about now."

"I hear that." She took a swallow from the longneck bottle and let out a sigh. "I haven't had a drink since Omega."

It was strange how long ago that seemed now. It had only been, what? Two weeks, if that? Shaking his head, Finn pulled out a loaf of bread, a tub of margarine, and a block of what smelled like cheddar cheese.

As he dug around in the cabinets for a pan, Kyra asked, "So, Xyn, huh?"

"Yeah." Finn told her, frowning. He was sure he had seen a skillet somewhere in the kitchen. "Eri was talking with her when I went looking for him."

"I had a talk with her too."

"I heard."

Kyra waved her hand dismissively. "No, I mean while you were knocked out. I almost didn't; I was afraid seeing me might set her off again."

Finn tried to imagine what Kyra and Xyn might have spoken about and came up with nothing. He found the skillet he was looking for lodged in the back of one of the cabinets and flicked a bit of the margarine into it before setting it down on the stove.

"We had a long talk. She's … well, she's kinda cool, really."

"I always thought so. I never was much of an artist myself."

Kyra seemed genuinely surprised. "Really? No painting? No music?"

"Well," he confessed, "I used to play the guitar on occasion back on New Elysia, but that was ages ago, and I wasn't a great musician by any stretch of the word. I like to write too, but I've never published anything." A moment of sadness passed over him. "And all I did write was on J-27. Boom."

He paused momentarily to butter two slices of bread. The skillet sizzled as Finn tossed them in butter-first. The cheese was next; after slicing off a few pieces with a knife, he put a layer of cheese on both pieces of bread.

"How about you?" He asked casually as he buttered the remaining pieces to go on top of the sandwiches. "You were incredible during that mess with Xyn; are you a dancer or something?"

She let out an embarrassed-sounding laugh. "A little. I like singing better, though; it's kinda freeing to get on stage and sing out your feelings."

Finn shivered at the very thought. "I could never get in front of a crowd like that. I'd just get nervous."

"Everyone says that." She replied. "It's not about the people watching, though; it's about expressing oneself. Sometimes you feel things that just can't be explained with words, y'know?"

"I think I do." Finn flipped the grilled-cheese sandwiches; the smell was tantalizing.

Her arms wrapped themselves around his mid-section. Resting her chin on his shoulder, she said, "Smells good. Almost done?"

"Almost." He smiled at her. "Patience, milady."

"Oh yeah?" Her arms slipped away as she moved to his side.

He turned just in time to see her making a grab for the spatula. He tried to lift it out of reach, but she started climbing over him, her hands grasping.

Finn stumbled under the unexpected weight gain and eventually fell on his back, Kyra landing on top of him, a victorious smile on her face as she gave his chest a gentle whack with the spatula.

"Nice try, sweetie." Her smile faded slightly as her eyes fell on his, a gentle blush on her cheeks.

"Kyra?" He asked, wondering if something was wrong.

Pinning his shoulders to the floor, she kissed him. Finn closed his eyes, savoring the feel of her lips on his. As her hands released their hold on him, he found himself pulling her close. The soft curves of her body against his made his mind swim, making the world pleasantly hazy.

He opened his eyes at her touch; she stared at him wordlessly as her hand rubbed his cheek. As she moved to kiss him again, Finn spotted the smoke. She must've noticed the alarm in his eyes, for she paused for a moment and glanced up at the stove to see what he was looking at.

With a yelp, she rolled off of him. Finn quickly stood up and looked around for the spatula."

"Here! Here!" She said between giggles as she handed him the spatula.

He fumbled with the spatula for a moment before managing to scoop the two slightly-burnt sandwiches out of the skillet and onto a plate. By the time he managed to find a potholder and put the skillet into the sink, the plate was gone. His hard lemonade was gone as well.

He glanced at the table in time to see Kyra already starting on the second sandwich, the half-filled bottle of hard lemonade resting nearby. She managed to scarf down the sandwich in a matter of seconds before draining the bottle and slamming it down on the table.

"Aaaah!" She said, sounding very satisfied. "That was just what I needed. I'm gonna get back to work on the engine now."

He stood there dumbly as she pranced over to him, gave him a peck on the cheek and sauntered off.

While his heart felt light as the target of her affections, he couldn't help but sound mournful as he whispered, "My sandwich …"


	24. Chapter 24 - Unmasked

Chapter 24

**Unmasked**

Jake glanced back as Finn walked onto the bridge. "Oh, hey bro. What's up?"

"Kyra stole my sandwich." Finn said dourly as he took Mannon's usual seat.

Jake chuckled. "She's something else, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she is." Finn smiled, still feeling a bit warm from the kiss she gave him.

"Glad you two are hitting it off. I was beginning to worry about you, man."

"Worry about me?" Finn asked, surprised. "Why? Not that I don't appreciate the sentiment."

Jake let out a sigh. "Well, you've never really had anyone special. I mean, there was the whole Xyn mess, but you yourself said that was a whacked out kinda relationship. For awhile there, I thought you and Mannon might hit it off, but you never really seemed interested."

Finn thought back to his days on J-27. Mannon had caught his eye; how could she not? She was the only woman within light years, and it was hard not to appreciate her athletic build and pretty face.

"I think it was the Alliance thing." Finn admitted. "I was trying to forget Earth, and there she was, a bold reminder of what I left behind. Besides, I never got the impression she was interested."

"Too busy staring at the comm array." Jake shook his head and said, "Well, I guess it all worked out."

They sat in silence for a long moment. It had been a long time since they had just say back and talked about nothing in general.

"Who do you think is chasing us?" Finn asked absently. He didn't really expect an answer; it was just another topic.

"I dunno, bro. Ever take out a student loan?"

They traded glances for a moment before bursting out into laughter. It felt good to laugh, even if the joke wasn't that funny.

"Seriously, though," Finn said, "Let's brainstorm this. What do we know so far?"

"Well, whoever it is has some pretty impressive resources for one." Jake said thoughtfully. "They managed to get the Blue Suns on their side, snuck assassins onto New Elysia, and even built Billy."

"Check." Finn agreed. "Their ships have no transponders, which makes them impossible to identify, but also makes it hard for them to go to any settled colony or planet without some sort of inside connection."

"Check. They presumably made Billy, so it makes sense that they're wanting cloaked ships for spying purposes and probably sneak attacks."

"Check." Finn considered Billy for a moment before saying, "And yet Billy managed to get away somehow. That implies someone on the inside was trying to get the message out."

Jake argued, "Or that they just messed up."

"Billy worked fine when I was flying him." Finn replied. "Nothing wrong with the design or circuitry as far as I can tell."

"Maybe Krieger snuck into these guys' base and made off with it?"

They looked at each other for a moment before mutually shaking their heads and saying, "Nah."

"So, an inside man?" Finn asked.

"Check. I mean, Billy's cool enough to have gotten himself out, but maybe he had some help."

"Yeah. Anyway, then there's P'Terya."

Jake gave him a curious look. "That turian girl we met at Krieger's place? What's she got to do with this?"

"Aria warned me that she was asking around Omega about us. Godot told me the same shortly before we were attacked. Hell, Krieger mentioned she was a representative of one of his clients … I wonder if he knows."

A twang of guilt ran through him; he hadn't so much as sent Krieger a message since Omega. He made a mental note to try and contact him once they were in the Sol system.

Jake suddenly started tapping the console with one paw excitedly. "Dude, I've got it! I totally know who's after us!"

"Let's hear it then." Finn said, smiling in anticipation of what was to come.

"The Shadow Broker!"

Finn started to laugh, but it stuck in his throat when he realized that it actually made sense. Billy, the way they seemed to know where the Ulasomorf was going, the secretive nature of the mysterious organization.

There were a lot of rumors about the Shadow Broker; some claimed it was a vagrant AI on an old Alliance station that mysteriously vanished. Others claimed the Shadow Broker was more than one person; more like a tightly-knit group of people who pulled the galaxy's strings. One thing that everyone agreed on, however, was that the Shadow Broker had thousands, perhaps even millions of agents scattered across the galaxy.

Finn stood up and started walking to the cargo bay. Jake glanced at the controls for a moment before following him.

"Hey!" He called out to Finn. "Where are you going?"

"I need some answers, and I need them now." Finn said, not slowing down. "Billy knows something."

There was no sign of Xyn in the cargo bay. No sign of the dirt in the truck either; Finn didn't know how she managed to get it all out of the truck or where it ended up, but he had more pressing issues at the moment.

As Finn climbed into Billy's cockpit, Jake seemed unusually reserved.

"I dunno, Finn." Jake said uncertainly. "Billy might not like it if you start poking around in his systems."

"Oh really?" Finn said as he activated the consoles. "Well, as much as I appreciate Billy's cloaking generator saving our hide just now, it's high time he gives us a reason for-"

Just what reason he was looking for he never said; as he started to activate his Omni-tool, the right side of the control console slid open. A massive clamp shot forward and grabbed his entire arm.

"What the …?" Finn began, struggling in vain to free himself.

The cockpit chair rolled forward automatically as the clamp pulled Finn's forearm into the console. A restraining plate rose from the floor as he was tilted towards the console until his face was inches away from the control panel. Another clamp, this one emerging from the left side of the panel, caught his left arm and pulled it into the console as well.

"Finn!" Jake asked, alarmed. "Are you all right, buddy? What's going on?"

"Get Kyra!" Finn told him hurriedly as the center console slid open, effectively trapping both of his hands.

As Jake hurried away, an eyeless mask extended from the center console. Finn tried to pull away from it, but his restrained arms and torso made it a futile maneuver. As it pressed against his face, he felt a sudden stabbing sensation in the back of his neck. He cried out, but the mask completely muffled any sound he made.

The pain in the back of his neck throbbed agonizingly as the seconds passed. The mask began to pump air in and out of him, but he was only faintly aware of it. He stared into the darkness, fear coursing through him as he waited for what was to come.

Suddenly, all of it was gone; the pain, the mask, the air pumping into his lungs. Hesitantly, he opened his eyes, only to find himself standing in a large open field covered in waving grass. There was a beach not far from where he stood; he could hear the sound of waves hitting the shore. The amber hues of the golden sun bathed everything in an orange light that left Finn feeling strangely at ease.

He stood dumbfounded for a long while, his eyes sweeping over the rolling hills that surrounded him. If he squinted, he could just make out the ocean waves in the distance.

His feet started moving as though of their own volition towards the coast. The long grass whipped against his bare legs and feet as he slowly made his way to the distant shore.

As he drew nearer his destination, he noticed the many rock formations that rose from the sea, neatly hemming the sun as it sank towards the horizon. It didn't take much longer for the grass to eventually turn to warm sand.

He didn't notice the boy until he was only a few feet away.

The boy looked at him impassively, his far too-large T-shirt rippling in the wind. His shorts were so large, they were practically pants; he had to cinch them around his waist. There was something familiar about him that tugged at Finn's memory.

They stared at each other for the longest time. As the seconds ticked by, Finn realized with a start that the boy was him as a child of eight years.

A plethora of questions ran through Finn's head, but the biggest at the moment seemed to be, "Who are you?"

"I was given the name William, though your friend called me Billy, I believe." The boy told him. There was a strange, impassive quality to his voice. "Either is suitable."

"Billy." Finn repeated, the irony of the situation not lost on him. "Jake really was talking to you."

The boy nodded. He glanced down at himself for a moment, before saying, "I pulled this form from your memory so that you might feel more at ease."

"This place, too?" Finn asked, glancing around again. While the view was spectacular, he had never been to such a place before.

"No. This place is from my own memories." Billy followed Finn's gaze to the rock formations jutting from the water. "Rannoch. It was my home. It was where I was born."

"You were quarian?" asked Finn, still trying to get a handle on what was happening.

"In a manner of speaking." The boy looked out over the ocean for a moment before saying, "I am geth."

Finn was struck speechless. The boy nodded patiently as Finn's mind scrambled to put the pieces together.

"But … weren't they normal synthetics?" Finn winced; the word normal seemed rude. "I mean, they had bodies, right?"

"We used mobile platforms, but they were merely shells; while my own platform fell centuries ago, my program remains."

"But the geth were destroyed four-hundred years ago." Finn told him. "No one's ever figured out how to restore them. How did you survive?"

The boy appeared to consider this for a long moment. "Not a simple question. Allow me a moment to consider."

The boy started walking. Feeling as though he should follow, Finn hurried after him.

After a few minutes of walking along the shore in silence, Billy said, "How much do you know of the history of the geth and the quarians?"

"Just what I learned in history class." Finn admitted. "They built you as expendable labor, you got smart, they panicked and tried to kill you, and lost their planet as a result until the Reaper War forced the geth and the quarians to make peace."

"That is concise, but accurate."

"But at the end of the war, the crucible destroyed all the geth along with the Reapers and every other AI … er, synthetic."

"That is true. My people were decimated by the Crucible."

"I'm sorry." Finn said, feeling responsible despite the fact that he wasn't even alive at the time.

The boy waved his apology aside. "Do not fret; the geth knew that it was a possibility; anything powerful enough to destroy the Reapers could, and ultimately did, prove harmful to all artificial life. Steps were taken to ensure that some survived, though in truth I have not encountered another geth in over four-hundred years."

Finn opened his mouth, but the boy stopped him with a shake of his head. "Your sympathy, though kind, is not necessary. I have not had the opportunity to look for the others of my kind should they exist as of yet for reasons that will become clear."

"How did you survive?"

"I was …" He looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "Protected."

That didn't really answer Finn's question, but something in the boy's tone made it clear he wasn't going to explain any more … at least not yet.

"Where are we really?" Finn asked.

"We are in the database matrix within the prototype ship in your cargo bay." An apologetic look crossed the boy's face. "I apologize if I startled you, but if you had activated your omni-tool, everything would have been in vain."

"I don't understand."

The boy held out his hands. Lines of code sped between his figners until a large red segment hung in the air.

"What is this?" Finn asked, a feeling of foreboding going through him.

"A tracking program, installed within the master key code. It broadcasted your position whenever you activated your omni-tool."

"That's how they were following us." Finn looked at his right arm. "Everything that had happened; Krieger's injury, the destruction of J-27, Mannon getting captured … it was my fault."

"No." Billy said, shaking his head. "It was mine. I've remained silent up until now, allowing you to think I was a mere ship because I wasn't sure if I could trust you. The information I carry is too vital for my mission to fail. If I had discovered the code earlier, I would have spoken to you then."

The boy paused for a long moment before saying, "During the war, many geth platforms were sent out into the galaxy to investigate the Reapers and their allies. I am one such unit. As the battle raged around Earth, I came across a Cerberus outpost in what you now call the Minax System."

"Cerberus?" Finn asked, scratching the side of his head. The name seemed familiar. It had something to do with the Reaper War, but he had spent far too many classes dreaming about flying a space fighter.

"A pro-human organization that was attempting to control the Reapers instead of destroying them. They came very close to succeeding, but were ultimately stopped by …"

"Commander John Shepard." Finn said, snapping his fingers. "I remember now! Shepard shot their leader!"

Nodding, Billy said, "The Illusive Man. The galaxy would have been a much different place if the Illusive Man had succeeded."

"I bet." Finn said; he had seen a picture of a Reaper once; even half-destroyed, the thing was still managing to cause a massive amount of destruction. If the Illusive Man succeeded in controlling them … well, the word 'Overlord' came to mind.

"While investigating the Cerberus facility, I was discovered and forced to abandon my platform. For centuries, I existed in Cerberus systems, transferring to ships as I needed to move. The Reaper War had ended, but Cerberus was still active."

"Weren't you curious about the other geth?"

"I was." Billy conceded, "But the Cerberus threat had high priority. If they were still up to something, I had to find out what it was. Even if the geth were gone, I'd need to report the threat to our allies. Unfortunately, there were difficulties; every time I felt I had a way in, it was suddenly blocked off. Every time I tried to return to the station on Minax, the ship was rerouted remotely. I had little luck making progress until I came across Glaxe Strafos."

"Who?" Finn asked automatically.

"He was the turian scientist who designed the cloaking device now integrated into the Ulasomorf. He discovered me snooping around his lab and trapped me in his personal console. I'm still surprised he did not report me to Cerberus."

An image of a turian appeared beside Billy. He looked a little small for a turian, but there was definitely a fire in his eyes hinting at the mind within.

"He was a genius." Billy said, admiration in his tone. "But as we became friends, I realized he was more than just another great mind. We often spoke of philosophy and the nature of morality. If I seem more well-spoken than other geth, it is because of my discussions with him."

Finn had never met a geth, but it seemed impolite to say so.

Billy continued, "We became good friends over the years. Despite my urging him to leave Cerberus, he remained working on the cloaking generator for over a decade. I had little choice but to remain with him, but I didn't mind. My attempts to uncover Cerberus's plot had ended in nothing but failure."

"What changed?" Finn asked, sensing that was where the story was heading.

"As the prototype neared completion, he began to express misgivings about the project. While a true cloaking device was a major breakthrough, he had always assumed it would be used to hide space stations, perhaps even planets. It was designed to hide very large things, and when Cerberus supplied a fighter for testing purposes, he began to grow suspicious of their motives. After some prodding from me, I convinced him to investigate Cerberus's true purpose."

"It took him months of digging before he managed to find a way to get us through the Minax station's security. Cerberus found him out, but I helped him escape with the prototype ship."

Billy fell silent, his eyes on Finn. Finn wasn't sure how to process all of this, but he felt he understood one thing at least.

"So this Cerberus organization is chasing us." He shook his head, adding, "Well, I didn't see that one coming. Then again, after four-hundred years, I guess that's hardly surprising."

The boy nodded. "You need not worry any longer. I have disabled the transmission code in your omni-tool. Kyra's as well, while she was trying to access my systems."

"So she knows who you are too?"

"No." Billy said, shaking his head. "I disabled her code covertly."

"Okay." Finn said, scratching his head again. "But why bring me here? You could've just disabled the code and flown off on your own, right?"

"Where would I go?" Billy asked, his voice quiet.

Finn opened his mouth to respond, only to realize he didn't have an answer. Sighing, he said, "Fine, I get that … but why talk to me, now?"

"Because you are the captain. Your crew trusts you as much as you trust them." Billy paused for a long moment, his eyes staring holes into Finn. "What would you do to protect your family?'

"I beg your pardon?"

"Your friends. Your 'brother', Jake. Kyra. What would you do to make sure they remain safe?"

The seriousness in Billy's tone made Finn stop and consider the question carefully. He thought back to his days on J-27 with Darsan and Mannon, to his first date with Kyra and sweet, sad song she sang, to the jokes he cracked with Eri, to Xyn's tear-stained face, and finally to all the times in his life that Jake had been there for him.

"Whatever it takes." He said quietly.

For a long moment, they stood there staring at each other, the whispering of wind through the tall grass and the lap of waves against the shore the only sounds that could be heard.

Without a word, Billy stepped up to Finn and placed his hands on either side of Finn's head.

Everything went dark, but only for a moment. He was now sitting in the prototype ship, staring at the controls. At first, he thought Billy had released him, but as a three-fingered hand reached forward, he realized that he was merely watching a scene.

It wasn't just his vision; his entire body felt different, as though it had been crammed into an ill-fitting case. He felt his fingers manipulating his controls, both familiar and strangely alien.

"Of course!" He realized. "Billy has a neural interface. This must be memories he recorded from Glaxe."

He (or rather, Glaxe) continued to manipulate the controls, saying, "You realize they're going to blow us into dust if they find us here."

"It is an acceptable risk." Billy's voice said through his mind. "Considering the stakes."

"The stakes." Glaxe shook his head. "For once, I hope you're wrong about this, William."

"As do I."

The ship flew towards a massive asteroid partially covered by a metal sphere. As they drew near, Glaxe breathed. "Transmit the codes."

For a few agonizing moments, Finn was sure they had been caught. The entry port into the sphere remained closed and impenetrable.

Then, miraculously, the message came through the comm. "Argus-7 identification accepted. You are cleared to enter, Specialist Tannis."

Finn and Glaxe breathed a collective sigh of relief as they urged the ship into the massive enclosure.

The air of tension was almost palpable, though Finn wasn't sure if it was from him, Glaxe, or Billy.

As the door shut behind them, the consoles suddenly went dark.

"William!" Glaxe said in alarm, trying to restart the systems.

"I am still here." Billy replied. "Something just shut down our engines."

"Something?"

"I believe I can regain control. Do not panic."

The panel came back online a few moments later. Just as Glaxe started to breathe a sigh of relief, an image of a middle-aged man appeared on his main viewscreen. Something about his eyes struck Finn as strange; there seemed to be little lights in them in a strangely uniform pattern.

Finn felt Glaxe's mandibles drop in shock. "No …" The turian whispered. "It can't be …"

A single name ran through Glaxe and Finn's head: The Illusive Man.

"Glaxe Strafos." The man said, raising an amused eyebrow. "My, my. You're a long way from the Arcturus Stream."

"You're dead!" Glaxe managed to say. "Shepard killed you centuries ago!"

A faint smile graced the man's face. "Rumors of my death have been … exaggerated. A body is just a shell, as your geth friend undoubtedly knows."

Finn felt uneasiness spread through him, definitely coming from Billy. The geth hadn't expected his cover to be blown.

"Yes, I knew you were there, William." The Illusive Man said smoothly. "You put up quite a fight trying to get in here. It seemed only fair that I let you see what you've struggled to find out for the past four-hundred years."

The Illusive man vanished. The inner chamber doors slowly opened, revealing the interior of the sphere.

Fear turned into terror; some coming from Glaxe and Billy, but mostly from Finn. He may not have remembered much from history class, but there wasn't a single being in the galaxy that wouldn't recognize what he was looking at now.

His vision abruptly faded as the mask pulled away. The neural conduit slid from the newly installed port in the back of Finn's head. The fear running through Finn was so great that he didn't even notice the pain.

The clamps released his arms and the seat returned to its standard position. Finn stumbled out of the craft, hitting the floor hard just as the lift doors opened to reveal Kyra and Jake.

"Finn!" Kyra cried out, running to his side.

He clasped her arms, so terrified that he couldn't even speak.

"What the heck just happened?" Jake glared at Billy, demanding, "What did you do to him, Billy?"

Steeling himself as much as he could considering what he had just seen, Finn said, "Get everyone in here. Now!"

"I got it!" Jake ran off towards the bridge.

Kyra took Finn's head in her hands, concern shining in her eyes as she asked, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"They have a Reaper!"


	25. Chapter 25 - Heroes

Chapter 25

**Heroes**

Finn was still shaking from the experience by the time Kyra returned with a bottle of water.

"Here." She told him, handing him the bottle. "Take a drink and calm down."

"T-thanks." He told her, squeezing his hand.

She gave him a smile, but he could tell that she was just as shaken as he was.

For what it was worth, Finn had calmed down a good bit. Given what they were now facing, he'd hardly call himself relaxed, but the abject terror had worn away, leaving only a dull sense of fear underlying his thoughts.

As she sat down beside him, Finn turned his attention to the rest of the crew. They were all staring at him with concern, and in some cases alarm. Obviously, the sight of Finn so shaken was having an effect on them.

"I found out who is chasing us." He said slowly, willing his voice to remain steady. "Cerberus."

A stunned silence followed his statement.

"Cerberus?" Mannon exclaimed. "That's impossible."

"And still true." Finn ran a hand through his hair. "That's not the worst of it; they're still being led by the Illusive Man."

"Disbelieving; the Illusive Man is dead, Finn. Everyone knows that."

"Commander Shepard shot the Illusive Man, that much is true." Finn admitted. "From the context, I'm guessing he uploaded himself into …"

He paused. Everyone was already looking at him like he was nuts except for Jake and Kyra. Sighing, he finished, "Into the Reaper."

"What?" Darsan said, his voice oddly loud. There was no better way to describe the reaction of the others.

"Okay, Finn." Eri said, patting Finn on the shoulder. "I like a good joke as much as the next guy, but this is getting silly."

Finn stared back at him with the dull resolution of a man walking towards his execution.

"You're joking." Eri repeated, a note of desperation in his voice. "This is just some trick you're playing on us."

He looked around the room for support, but only found more confused looks. Mannon sat down next to Billy, looking a bit sick.

"That's … that's crazy!" He said desperately. "Every Reaper in the galaxy was destroyed! There can't be any left!"

"Well, there's one." Finn said irritably. "And now it's got the Illusive Man at the helm."

"It makes sense."

Finn turned, his expression one of surprise at hearing Kyra say those words. She looked back at him, nodding in agreement.

"The Illusive Man wanted to control the Reapers. He was no fool; it makes sense that he had a backup plan in case he couldn't stop … Shepard."

Finn stared at her; the pause before Shepard stuck in his mind, but he didn't know why. "He must've succeeded. Bastard managed to put himself into a Reaper."

"Skeptical; but how did he protect himself from the Crucible blast?"

"The station in Minax must have some kind of special shield." Finn said, shaking his head. "It must've been how Billy survived too."

"Not you too." Mannon said, shooting a glare at Jake.

Finn shook his head, saying, "After all that, the fact that Billy's a geth seems kind of petty."

"Geth?" Kyra asked, perking up instantly.

Like so many things she did, this reaction threw Finn off somewhat. "Yeah. He was investigating the Minax station when the Crucible went off. Maybe that's how his program ended up in the ship; I don't know."

"But he's really in Billy … I mean, the ship?" Kyra's eyes shone with interest. Finn hated to admit it, but her lack of focus was somewhat comforting.

"Oh! Billy was the man on the inside!" Jake said, his tail end wagging. "I knew it! So it's not the Shadow Broker after all!"

"Everyone knows the Shadow Broker exists, Jake." Eri said, shaking his head. "They'd have just taken Billy and left. Cerberus wanted to make sure no one knew they were out there."

"Satisfied; so now we know."

Finn interrupted, "We don't know anything, Darsan. What is Cerberus trying to do? What are they planning to do with a Reaper?"

There was a long silence as everyone considered what could be done with one fully functional Reaper. There wasn't one happy look in the room.

"Maybe we're overacting." Eri said, trying his best to sound cheerful. "I mean, the united fleets of the galaxy took out a bunch of Reapers back in the day, and that was four hundred years ago. We've got better weapons, stronger ships. If it came to a straight-up attack, we'd win easy against just one."

"Thoughtfully; Eri has a point. One Reaper isn't going to be able to take over the galaxy. Granted, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near the damn thing, but pretty much any of the main fleets could definitely handle it on their own."

"And the rest of Cerberus?" Finn asked. "What about them? We have no idea what kind of resources they have at their disposal."

Xyn was watching the group uncertainly. Finn found he envied her; the Xyn hadn't been involved in the Reaper War, so knowledge of the Reapers wasn't as widespread as it was among the races that fought during the war.

"So, what?" Mannon asked. "What do we do?"

"Just what we were already doing; go to Earth." Finn told them as he stood up. "The Citadel's still in Earth's orbit, and so is the Council."

"And if they don't listen?" Eri asked, crossing his arms. "Shepard was a highly decorated Alliance officer, and the Council still didn't listen to him."

Kyra added, "Not until the Reapers were already invading, anyway."

"We have to try." Finn said firmly. "We'll tell them what we know, get some evidence from Billy, and maybe they'll listen to us. If not … well, we still have the cloaking device."

"What? Try to stop Cerberus ourselves?" Jake asked incredulously. "We aren't soldiers! Well, maybe Eri there."

Eri put his hands up, saying, "Whoa! I'm a guard, buddy. Darsan's the man with the firepower."

"Reluctantly; as awesome a fighter as I am, we are going to need more than just firepower to take on Cerberus."

Finn rose to his feet, saying, "We'll worry about that if and when the Council doesn't listen to us. For now, we'll continue as planned."

"The engine's ready to go." Kyra told him. "Just … no streaming, okay?"

Finn nodded in agreement.

Looking at the others, Finn realized the mood of the ship had definitely changed. Their light-hearted adventure had become something darker, something more grim. It bothered him.

"I know this makes things difficult." Finn admitted. "Knowing what we're facing is far from reassuring, you all deserve to know the truth. If any of you want to leave when we get to Earth, I'll understand."

"Surprised; leave? Now?" Darsan said, stepping forward. "Just when things are getting exciting?"

"Exciting?" Finn asked, not sure he heard the elcor correctly.

The elcor put his hand on Finn's shoulder, saying, "Inspirationally; think about it, Finn! Repairman and friends race to the citadel!"

"Bringing top secret info about the return of Cerberus and the existence of a Reaper from the last survivor of the geth!" Jake added as Darsan's energy spread through the room like a plague.

Excitement in her eyes, Kyra said, "Escaping from New Elysia and Omega with the Blue Suns on their trail!"

"Exactly!" Darsan told them. "Confidentally; we play our cards right, we'll be known the galaxy over! Books, movies, commemorative coffee mugs!"

"What about Cerberus and the Reaper?" Finn asked, a smile crossing his face at Darsan's sudden excitement.

"Dismissively; details, details. Let the soldiers deal with that. We're the ones risking everything to warn the galaxy. Trust me Finn, we'll all be heroes!"

"Heroes, huh?" Eri sighed and shook his head. "The bar's gone down over the years, apparently."

Darsan ran two massive fingers over the rim of his hat, saying, "It's all going to work out, you'll see."

"And if it doesn't," Kyra said, excitement in her eyes. "We'll find a way. That's what heroes do, right?"

Mannon rolled her eyes and looked at Xyn, saying, "See what I have to deal with?"

Xyn let out a giggle, her long green hair partially covering her face.

"Cheerful; so let's get this show on the road!"

"Right!" Finn patted his knee, saying, "Come on, Jake! Let's get this tub in motion."

"Right behind you, buddy!"

Once they were back in FTL, Finn let out a sigh and sank back in his chair. To his surprise, a pair of slender three-fingered hands started rubbing his shoulders.

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

"I always feel better around you, milady." He told her, turning his head.

She gave him a kiss on the cheek before wrapping her arms around his chest.

They stared out the main window at the stars whizzing by in silence for a good minute or two. Finn rubbed her hands with his own;

"Finn?" She asked quietly. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure."

They both looked at Jake, who stared at them uncomprehendingly for a moment before he caught their meaning. "Oh, right! I need to, uh … go catalog my … er, sock collection."

He scampered off of the bridge.

Once he was gone, Kyra asked, "He doesn't really have a sock collection, does he?"

"I doubt it."

She climbed over his chair and sat down in his lap, her legs hanging over the armrests. Wrapping her arms around Finn's neck, she asked, "Comfy?"

"Very." He leaned forward and kissed her. She returned the kiss eagerly, her legs sliding behind his back and hugging him close.

When they released, she smiled at him. Finn couldn't stop looking at her; her smile, her long hair, the adorable blush on her cheeks.

"I like you." She said, her voice strangely quiet.

"I like you too." He told her. "We had this discussion before, I believe."

She giggled. "Yeah, I just wanted to hear you say it again."

After another kiss, Finn asked, "So … was that the secret? 'Cause I think I might need to hear it again."

Laughing, she pressed her forehead against his. "Nah. It's about … well, it's about my family."

"Oh? You have sisters?"

"Five of them." She replied. "But it's not about them. Remember when I told you I was omni?"

"I remember you eating my sandwich."

She shoved herself away from his chest and gave him a bop on the head, grinning all the while. "I'm being serious here, sweetie. You remember, right?"

"Of course." He told her, squeezing her hands in his. "Your really great grandparents were converted to omnis accidentally when they were exposed to …"

Finn fell silent as his mind suddenly pieced it together. He looked at her with a mix of wonder and surprise. "It was Shepard, wasn't it? Commander John Shepard …"

"… and Tali Zorah Nar Rayya Vas Neema." Kyra finished. "They produced the first Omni-plants, and helped perfect the process for omni-conversion."

"How did it happen?" Finn asked curiously.

"Well, from what my mother always told us, John and Tali came to Rannoch after the war to make a home. They had brought several plants from Earth; as a human, Shepard couldn't eat native plantlife. Something about the soil caused some of the plants to mutate. They helped design a harmless chemical dispensed via mist to encourage the process in other fruits and vegetables, which after months of exposure had altered their own physiology." She laughed again, saying, "Can you imagine how surprised Grandma Tali must've been when she found out she was pregnant? Or Grandpa John?"

"I can imagine." Finn couldn't help but smile. After everything Shepard had went through, he and his wife had a happy ending after all.

Kyra slipped one of her hands from Finn's grasp and slid it into her pocket. She brought out a small round stone. It had been smooth once, but someone (presumably Kyra) had carved various swirls and lines onto it.

"I picked this up on Rannoch." She said, turning the stone over in her hands. "A piece of home to carry with me. It's become a family tradition."

"It's a good tradition." He told her. "If you bring your home with you, you can never truly be homesick."

She laughed again, but there was a hint of sadness this time. "It's been over a year since I last saw my sisters, even longer since I've been home. I miss it, but …"

Excitement was in her eyes as she continued, "My ancestors had an adventure that spanned the galaxy. The odds against them meeting were phenomenal, but they did … just like us."

"Just like us." Finn repeated.

Kyra smiled and kissed him again.

"Hey, Finn. I was … Whoa!"

Finn and Kyra glanced around to see Mannon and Eri standing at the entrance to the bridge. Eri was very pointedly not looking at Finn and Kyra, while Mannon looked on the verge of letting out a squee at the sight of them.

"On the Bridge, Finn?" Eri complained teasingly. "Don't make me get a bucket of cold water, you crazy kids."

Kyra hopped off of Finn. Leaning over, she said, "I'm gonna go keep an eye on the engine. We'll talk more at dinner, 'kay?"

She kissed him on the cheek before walking off of the bridge with the usual perk in her step. Just before she left, she turned back to Eri and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Well, well." Mannon said as she and Eri sat at their usual stations. "Have you two set a date yet?"

"Ha ha ha." Finn muttered, unable to keep the smile off his face as his cheeks burned.


	26. Chapter 26 - Earthbound

Chapter 26

**Earthbound**

Earth. Described by some as a beautiful blue marble hanging in the darkness of space by some, as an ugly ball of muddy water by others. Scars from the Reaper War still showed here and there, but the planet was well on the way to healing.

Debris was always a bit of a problem around Earth's orbit, mostly fragments of ships lost in that climactic battle so long ago. Even after hundreds of sweeps, some bits still remained; nothing large enough to cause damage of course, but definitely enough to keep pilots like Finn alert as they flew through the atmosphere.

"Ten years." Finn whispered as Earth loomed large in the bridge's from window. "Has it really been that long?"

"Six for me." Mannon said quietly. "I picked up my orders in London."

It was a somber moment for both of them, and like all somber moments aboard the Ulasomorf, something blundered in and messed it up like a bowling ball striking a stack of expensive china.

"Happily; Greetings, fellow heroes!"

Finn felt an odd sense of dread as he turned to face Darsan, only to find the elcor had swapped his usual hat for a massive straw hat. He was also wearing what could only be described as a poncho. The colors were quite nice, though the site of Darsan wearing them was as offsetting as one might expect. Finn couldn't help but wonder where Darsan found a pair of sunglasses, and even more mysteriously, how he was wearing them without ears.

"Darsan." Mannon said, struggling not to laugh. "What is all that?"

"Reasonably; since we're landing on the planet, I thought that I might take in a little sun. I hear the beaches are quite lovely.

"You're going to take a vacation?" Mannon asked disbelievingly. "Cerberus are after us. They're got a Reaper."

"Unconcerned; they aren't here, are they?"

Finn rolled his eyes as Darsan walked off of the bridge. "I wish I had his confidence."

"Still thinking about the Reaper?"

"Pretty hard not to." He shuddered as the image flashed through his mind. "One Reaper could still do a massive amount of damage. I'm just glad we're not the ones going after it."

Mannon didn't reply.

Feeling that he must've said something wrong, Finn coughed and said, "I mean, I'm sure the Alliance will be more than capable of taking it out before it can cause any damage."

"I'm leaving."

Finn was stunned for a few moments. "What?"

Sighing, she said, "I was posted on J-27; now that the station's gone, my superiors are going to reassign me."

"But … can't you request …"

She shook her head, cutting his question short. "With the krogan situation building, they need as many soldiers as they can get to be ready. I'll be heading out tomorrow morning."

"I don't know what to say." Finn said, unable to keep the sadness out of his voice. "We're going to miss you, especially Darsan."

She looked at her console as she replied. "I'm going to miss you too. All of you."

After a few moments, she slammed her fist on the console. "This sucks. For the first time, I've felt like I was part of something special; a family, a team. Now it's getting torn away from me, and there's nothing I can do about it."

Finn didn't know what to say. What could he say? Nothing would miraculously change her orders. He felt useless; it was a feeling he had always hated.

"I'll be leaving once we dock on Earth." She told him. "Could you wait until I'm gone to tell everyone? I don't want a big scene."

"Yeah." Finn said, nodding. "I'll let them know."

"Thank you." After a few moments, she said, "I hesitated."

"Huh?"

"That's how I ended up on J-27. I was training in the N7 program."

"You were an N7?" Finn asked, impressed. It certainly explained how she came to be so good with a rifle.

"I never actually graduated from the program." She explained. "We were acting out a holographic scenario based on an old mission on Virmire, pre-Reaper War. I had sent Cole to assist a group of soldiers as part of a distraction while I snuck into the base from the rear."

"The plan was working; I managed to slip into the base and disabled the mission targets. As we started to deploy a bomb to destroy the base, we got a message from Cole saying that he and the other soldiers were pinned down. I left Hutchins with a few soldiers to guard the bomb, but halfway to Cole, Hutchins came under fire as well."

"There wasn't time to save both?" Finn asked, seeing where they was going.

Mannon shook her head. "I had to make a choice, but … I couldn't. I failed the mission, Finn, because I couldn't choose between two of my friends. It wasn't even a matter of a right choice versus a wrong choice; it was about making the choice, and I couldn't do it."

"I left the N7 program after that. I've always had a mind for strategy, but that kind of decision …" She shook her head and let out a sad sigh. "I don't want to be in that position, not ever. The Alliance higher-ups were disappointed in me; they gave me some quick training communications and shipped me off to J-27. A 'listening post', they called it."

They were both silent for a long while.

"Well, for what it's worth." Finn told her. "I'm glad things turned out the way they did."

She smiled at him, a hint of relief on her face. "Me too. Maybe if this krogan thing blows over and Darsan gets to make his new and improved J-27 …"

"We'd be glad to have you." Finn assured her.

They landed at the Moreau Airbase in what was once Dallas, Texas. Although most of the city had been devastated during the Reaper War, the presence of a military installation was slowly helping the city recover.

"Ulasomorf; this is Moreau Flight Control. We are sending you coordinates where you may land. We ask that you do not deviate from theses coordinates."

"Gotcha." Finn replied as he moved the ship to the indicated position.

To Mannon, he commented, "Looks like they're giving us a wide berth."

"No transponder, remember? If I hadn't identified myself, they definitely wouldn't have let us land here." Shaking her head, she said, "I've already arranged for a few scientists to come on board to examine the cloaking device."

"They aren't gonna take it, right?' Finn asked. "I get the feeling we might be needing a cloaking device if things don't work out."

"Don't worry; officially, they're just here to perform some routine maintenance on the ship and installing the new transponder; they'll be scanning the generator, nothing more."

Nodding, Finn said, "Good. You didn't tell them about …"

"No, I didn't. I told them Darsan was the ship captain."

"I was going to say Billy, but you did the right thing anyway." He paused for a moment before saying, "I appreciate that, by the way."

"Excuse me?"

"Not telling them about me. I'm guessing that means you found out why I left Earth."

She nodded in silence.

"S'okay." He told her, turning his attention back to the controls as he brought the ship down. "It's only natural to be curious. Besides, I did say I'd tell you when you told me, right? Just … don't go telling the others, all right?"

The ship's landing supports extended moments before the Ulasomorf hit the ground. The final shake told Finn that they were no longer airborn.

As he deactivated the controls, he said, "If you want to, go ahead and start moving to the docking room."

"Thank you, Finn." She rose from her chair and turned to leave. After a moment, she walked back to Finn and gave him a hug.

"Goodbye, Finn." She whispered.

He was a bit startled at first, but he eventually hugged her back, saying, "Take care of yourself … sis."

She smiled at him. "Sis, huh? I can live with that."

As she left, Finn couldn't help but feel a bit empty at the thought of Mannon being gone. He was going to miss her.

Shaking his head, Finn gave Mannon a good minute or two before activating the ship-wide comm. "Okay, everybody; we're on the ground. Let's meet up at the cargo bay before anyone heads out."

It didn't take long for the crew to assemble in the cargo bay. Most of them were either looking at Darsan, or very pointedly not looking at the elcor.

"Okay, everyone." Finn said as he lowered the cargo ramp. "We'll be heading to the Citadel once the Alliance techs finish scanning our toy. Should be able to get a few hours of sightseeing in; just make sure you check in with the Alliance people; I don't want any misunderstandings here."

"Smug; I have already cleared it. There will be a shuttle outside, large enough for all of us if you all want to come along."

"I'm staying." Finn told them. "I've seen it all before anyway."

Kyra nodded in agreement. "I'm staying too. Someone's gotta keep an eye on the knuckleheads messing with my engine. Xyn?"

"A walk on the beach sounds quite pleasant." She said, smiling.

Eri shrugged, saying, "Eh. I'll have a look around, I guess."

"Excited; then lets get moving!"

As Darsan led Xyn and Eri down the ramp, Jake looked up at Finn questioningly.

"Go ahead, bro." Finn told him.

Grinning, Jake hurried after the others. Once they were gone, Kyra asked, "So, what are you really doing?"

"Thinking ahead." Finn told her. "I'm going to have another talk with Billy, see if he can't give me a recording of the Reaper so we have some proof."

He scratched the back of his head; the small metal port of the neural implant itched a little. "Hopefully, he'll be a bit more gentle this time."

As he pulled open Billy's hatch, he paused for a moment. "Mannon's not coming back."

Kyra didn't seem surprised, though there was a note of sadness in her voice as she said, "I had a feeling. Something about how she said goodbye last time we talked. Alliance called her back, didn't they?"

"Yeah." Shaking his head, Finn said, "Still, it's not like it's goodbye forever. We might see her again if Darsan ever gets his station rebuilt."

Kyra smiled at him. "Yeah. You're right. We'll see each other again."

Shaking her head, she headed for the lift, calling behind her, "I'll be in engineering if you want to stop by later."

"I will." He promised her before shutting the hatch.

He tentatively reached his hands towards the parts of the console where the clamps had originally grabbed him. The panels slid open, but the clamps did not appear.

Taking this as a good sign, Finn reached into the consoles and leaned forward as the chair began to shift. When the mask emerged from the central panel, he took a deep breath before putting his face in it.

He felt the neural interface jab him in the back of the neck again. It didn't hurt this time, but it was definitely not a pleasant sensation.

When Finn opened his eyes, he was once again standing on the Rannoch Beach. Billy, still looking like Finn when he was younger, was sitting on top of one of the shorter rock formations, staring out over the horizon.

"Hey." Finn said, approaching. "Sorry if I bugged out last time, but-"

"It is understandable, given the circumstances." Billy slowly turned his head towards Finn. "I overheard your meeting with the others; your intention is to warn the Council?"

"Yes." Finn replied. "They need to know."

"And if they do not listen?"

Not sure how to respond, Finn asked, "What would you do?"

Billy considered this for some time. Just as Finn started counting the number of waves that made it to his bare feet, Billy said, "I do not know. My purpose was to scout. I was given orders to sabotage Cerberus or the Reapers if I found a way, but given how much the situation has changed, I'm not sure how to react."

"I'd suggest worrying about one thing at a time." Finn told him.

Billy gave him an odd look. "Shouldn't we consider the option at least?"

"Yeah, when we get there. We aren't there yet, though. The Council might listen to us, and then the problem would be solved."

"I hardly think it's that simple." Billy said, a disdainful tone in his voice.

"Simple?" Finn replied, acting surprised. "Who said anything about simple? We've got to get an audience with the Council first, you know, and that means we've gotta convince the Alliance that there's a threat. That's why I was hoping you could get me some nice hard evidence."

Billy held out his hand. A burst of light shot from his finger like a hyper firefly, circling madly around Finn's head until finally settling on his arm.

"There. I've sent everything I have on the Reaper, Cerberus, and the Illusive Man. Outposts, security codes, and what scans I was able to take of the Reaper itself."

"Should be more than enough to get some attention." Finn reasoned. "I'll send these to Alliance Command, see if we can't get the human councilor at least."

"I hope you succeed." Billy told him. "And I hope … I'd like it if you'd stop by and talk to me again."

"Why not move onto the Ulasomorf's mainframe?" Finn asked him. "Plenty of room, I'd imagine."

Billy shrugged. "I've been in this ship for years. It's … comfortable."

Finn couldn't help but smile. "I know what you're talking about."


	27. Chapter 27 - Old Wounds

Chapter 27

**Old Wounds**

Finn whistled cheerily as he hopped out of Billy. Things certainly seemed up, though he still felt a bit bummed about Mannon's departure. Fortunately, who knew just who to visit to cheer himself up.

"Kyra!" He called out as he left the lift and headed towards the engine room. "Kyra, are you h-"

Kyra smiled at him as the two engineers, one man and one woman looked up to see who was approaching. Finn recognized them both immediately.

The man was tall and quite strong in appearance, but his right arm was obviously cybernetic in nature. The woman was a little slip of a thing, and looked even smaller as she sat in her support chair, most likely to relieve the tension caused by her artificial legs.

"Whoa!" He said, quickly turning around, "I didn't realize you had company."

"That's all right, sweetie." She walked over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek before pulling himself forward. "These are our Alliance friends, Ricardo and Katherine. Hey guys. This is Finn."

The silence that followed was almost unbearable palpable. Even Kyra picked up on it a few moments later.

"You know each other?" She asked, surprised.

"Yeah." Ricardo said, his voice strained. "We've met."

The air took an even more uncomfortable turn. Kyra must've picked up on that too.

"I'll uh … go grab us something to drink." Her eyes flashed to Finn for a moment before she hurried away.

For a long time after Kyra left, no one spoke. All three of them seemed to be waiting for something.

Just as Finn managed to gather enough nerve to speak, Katherine said, "My, my. Finn Cresste … look at you, all grown up."

Finn let out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, well … I'm older anyway. How … how have you guys been doing?"

A very ugly look was slowly growing on Ricardo's face. Finn tried to ignore it, but he could literally feel the waves of hatred flowing from him.

Sighing, Finn said, "I'm … I'm really s-"

He never saw the punch coming. Ricardo's fist (the fleshy one, fortunately) slammed into his face hard enough to send him flying back into the nearest wall.

"Rico!" Katt said, alarmed.

"Sorry?" Rico shouted as Finn struggled to rise. "You're sorry, is that what you were going to say?"

He started to move towards Finn, but Katt caught his arm and somehow pulled him back.

"Calm down!" She ordered him. "Right now!"

"I …" Rico swallowed hard and stepped back.

Nodding, Katt turned her attention to Finn. There was actually concern in her eyes. "I'm sorry about that. Are you okay?"

A joke regarding his recent concussion on New Elysia came to mind, but Finn couldn't bring himself to say it. "You don't have to be sorry, Katt. He's right; I'm the one who screwed up."

A strange look came over both of their faces, like they couldn't believe what they just heard. Kat moved closer and knelt down beside him with little difficulty; apparently, she had gotten used to her leg replacements.

"Look at me." She told him.

Reluctantly, he met her gaze. When she was younger, she had her eyes were altered to literally look (and from what Finn understood, function) like those of a Katt. She claimed it was to help her see better in low light, but Finn always suspected she did it just to match her nickname.

Her cat-like eyes were now searching his, peering through the windows of his soul and gently probing what lay beyond.

"You … you really mean that." She said, her eyes widening in wonder.

"Yes, I do." Finn told them. "The race was a stupid idea. All I cared about was stomping Old Greg, and …"

His eyes fell on Katt's legs before moving to Rico's arm. Shame filled him as he continued "… and I dragged the two of you into it. Worse, I was a complete jerk to the both of you after the accident."

"Yes, you were." Rico said, anger still in his voice, but now faded.

"I didn't want to admit I screwed up." Finn confessed. "It was easier to think that it was your fault, but … but it wasn't true. I was the squadron leader, and I let you down. Both of you."

To his surprise and astonishment, Katt started laughing.

Staring at her, feeling a bit hurt and a lot confused, he stammered, "W-what? What's so funny?"

"Finn Cresste, the master of the Stream, the flight prodigy who could fly anything like a pro in a matter of minutes, is apologizing and admitting his mistakes?" She shook her head, still laughing. "I always knew you'd show up again one day, but I never expected anything like this."

She held out her hand, smiling. After a moment of hesitation, Rico stepped beside her and offered his hand as well. Hesitant at first, Finn accepted their help and was quickly pulled to his feet.

"Don't think we didn't notice where the money for our fancy upgrades came from." Katt told him.

Finn's jaw dropped. "You … you knew?"

"Of course we knew. We don't have any family but each other, and charities that have that kind of dough tend to avoid donations to military personnel. The most the military was willing to do was to grow replacements for later implantation, but why settle for a replacement when you can get an improvement, huh?"

She hopped on her tiptoes for a few moments before saying, "Still, these were pretty expensive. Who'd you kidnap to pay for it?"

"It's … a long story." Finn said truthfully. "Let's just say my life's been … interesting since I left Earth."

"Yeah, your girlfriend was telling us about that." Rico said, sounding much like his old self. "How'd you dupe her into a relationship anyway?"

"Rico." Katt said warningly.

The big man blushed. Something about the look that passed between them made something click in Finn's head. He glanced at their hands and finally noticed the rings.

"You two got married?"

Rico looked really uncomfortable now. Katt hugged his arm, saying, "Yeah, well … like I said, we're the only family we've ever had."

"Congratulations!" He said, shaking their hands. "I wish I could've been there for the ceremony, but I can understand why you didn't invite me."

"Oh, it wasn't a ceremony. You know how shy Rico gets in a crowd." She interlaced her fingers with Rico's augmented hand, continuing, "Besides, we knew you wouldn't come even if you wanted to."

"Speaking of which," Rico said, "You really shouldn't be here."

"I know." Finn said, his cheeks flushed. "It's not bad enough I wrecked three Teraels, but I basically deserted too. I can't imagine the Alliance would be as welcoming if they knew I was the captain of this ship. Believe me, I probably still wouldn't be here if it weren't such an emergency."

"Yeah, about that." Katt walked over to the cloaking generator. "Why did you risk coming back? Not that I don't appreciate the opportunity to check out this impressive piece of tech, but if they catch you here, you'll probably end up in a cell for decades."

"It's …" Finn debated for a moment whether or not to tell them the truth. Letting out a sigh, he said, "It's better than Cerberus catching us and just straight out killing us."

"Cerberus?" Rico said, alarmed. "Weren't they destroyed years ago?"

"Oh, it gets better." Finn told them. "The Illusive Man's alive too, and in control of a Reaper."

They stared at him in silence.

"Yeah, that's pretty much what we said. Well, that, and me panicking a bit." Finn admitted.

"That's heavy." Rico said, rubbing the back of his head.

Katt asked, "Any idea what they're up to?"

"Not a clue, but seeing as it's Cerberus, it can't be good. I've got proof; I just need to figure out where to send it without outing myself."

"Which is why I'm going to take it straight to Admiral Sanders." Kyra said, approaching with several hard lemonades in tow. She tossed one to each of them before twisting off the cap on hers. "They'll listen to me."

"They will?' Rico asked, raising an eyebrow at the quarian.

"Oh, I'm sure they will." Finn said as Kyra leaned back against his shoulder. "She's special. Aren't you, milady?"

"Don't I know it." She replied with a smile, rubbing his cheek.

Turning her attention back to the cloaking device, Kyra asked, "So, any luck with it?"

Katt checked her omni-tool, saying, "Well, I've got a complete scan of it. There are a few things constructs I can't quite figure out. Any chance you'll let us take it apart?"

"Only if you put it back together when you're done." Kyra told her.

Rico nodded. "Fair enough."

Kyra grabbed Finn's hand and started to pull him towards the lift, saying, "C'mon, Finn. Let's go see about delivering our little message."

"Sure thing." Finn waved at Katt and Rico as he let Kyra tug him out of the engine room.

Once they were in the lift and the doors had closed, Kyra wrapped her arms around Finn and gave him a big kiss.

"Not that I'm complaining," Finn said, his arms around her, "But what was that for?'

"It's 'cause I'm sorry."

"Oh …" Finn said, feeling embarrassed. "You saw that, did you?"

"Yeah. If I'd known …"

"It's okay." He rubbed her cheek, saying, "The odds of them being here is pretty out there."

"What happened, anyway?" She asked tentatively.

Finn sighed. "A stupid mistake. We were racing against another group of students. We were all Streamers, but I had an idea; by flying in a close formation, we could combine our mass effect fields to stream as a group. Without combined energy, we hoped to go even faster than normal streaming."

He let out an embarrassed chuckle. "It was stupid; it's hard enough to do it with one ship, let alone doing it with three in conjunction. We're just lucky we ended up crashing instead of bounding into the damn sun, though I'm still stunned that we all managed to survive."

"That's when you left Earth?"

"Pretty much. They were most likely going to court marshal me, or whatever it is they do to students who steal ships and nearly get their friends killed, so I managed to stowaway on a shuttle heading for New Elysia with Jake. Rico and Katt tried to stop me; told me that it wasn't as bad as I was making it out to be, and I ended up screaming at them about how it was their fault for not being as 'good' as me."

He shook his head, saying, "I was such an idiot. A cocky little brat who thought the galaxy owed him something. The accident was a harsh lesson. It wasn't until I was on New Elysia that I realized what a jerk I had been."

"Hey." She said, making him look at her. "Stop calling yourself a jerk. You aren't that person anymore. It's time to let it go."

He stared at her for a long time before nodded gratefully. "You're right. Thanks, Kyra."

"You can thank me by cooking us up some lunch after I have a talk with Admiral Alenko." She whispered before giving him another kiss.

The lift doors opened on the cargo deck. After giving him a quick hug, she hopped out of the lift and headed for the bridge, calling back, "Don't start eating without me!"

As Finn rode up to the kitchen, he couldn't help but wonder how things would've turned out had he stayed. He would've gotten into trouble, sure, but chances are it wouldn't have been the end of his career with the Alliance. Of course, now they were likely to throw the book at him for desertion. Finn wondered if it was still a capital offense.

"Ugh." He muttered as the lift doors opened. "Way to stay positive, Finn."

He was halfway to the kitchen when he heard the lift slide open behind him. He turned to see Rico rubbing the back of his head and looking uncomfortable.

"Hey." Finn said uncertainly "Everything okay down there?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Katt's figuring it out." After a brief pause, he said, "Listen, man; I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

Finn blushed, saying, "You don't have to …"

"Yeah, I do. After you left, I was so angry; even when Katt figured out you paid for our augments. You shoulda seen the fight Katt and I had when she wanted to hunt you down to be a witness at our wedding. I thought you'd never change."

He paused again. "But you did. I never thought I'd ever hear Finn Cresste admit he was wrong, not sincerely."

"I made plenty more mistakes after I left." Finn let out a chuckle. "I'd like to think I learned a few things since then. These last few weeks have been like living my life backwards and revisiting my biggest mistakes. I'd be lying if I said that the accident wasn't one of them."

"Thing is," Rico told him, blushing, "You were right. I screwed up; I pushed too close to the envelope and ended up collapsing it around us."

Finn let out a sigh. "You wouldn't have even been out there if I hadn't pushed you."

"Still, I was a weak link." There was admiration in his voice as he continued, "Flying always came so naturally to you, Slipstream. We'd have to work and work just to be half the pilot you were. I admit, I was a bit jealous."

"Jealous?" Finn asked, surprised. "Because I could fly better? It was the only thing I really excelled in back then. You're stronger and a much better shot than I've ever been. I can fix things reasonably well, but I can't hold a candle to Katt or Kyra."

"I know, but … it's just, for years, I've thought about what I'd do if you showed up again, and when you did, all that anger came rushing back." He flushed, saying, "And I'm sorry I hit you."

Finn let out a relieved sigh. Patting Rico on the shoulder, he said, "Eh, I probably had it coming for something."

Rico smiled, but he still looked troubled. "I wish I could be so forgiving to someone who just slugged me one."

"I don't have enough friends to just start pushing them away." Finn told him. "Besides, I've been getting that a lot lately."


	28. Chapter 28 - Politics

Chapter 28

**Politics**

Finn and Kyra were in the cargo bay playing poker with potato chips while they waited for Darsan and the others to return from their impromptu beach trip. Finn was usually pretty good at cards, but Kyra managed to call him every time he bluffed; he was already down half a bag of sour cream and cheddar chips.

"Call." She said, tossing a barbecue chip on the pile between them.

Finn threw his hand down with a sigh. "Take 'em."

Squeeing, she quickly put her hands around the pile and swept them into her bag. Finn noted that it was almost full to the brim.

"Beginners luck." He muttered as he shuffled the cards.

She giggled and flipped a chip at him, saying, "Don't worry, sweetie. I won't let you go hungry. Of course, I'll expect you to work for your food."

"Oh?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "What sort of work do you have in mind, milady?"

She leaned forward until they were only a few inches apart. "I'm sure we can work out something."

They started to kiss when they heard someone call out, "Oy! Get a room, you two!"

Kyra let her head hang down as Finn glanced back at the cargo ramp in time to see Eri leading the others back into the ship. They looked quite cheery, especially Xyn, who apparently was humming as she strolled up the ramp in little more than a bikini. Her hair hung down to her ankles, and was now a vibrant and healthy shade of green.

"Hey." Finn said as he dealt the cards to Kyra and himself. "You guys have fun?"

"It was an … interesting experience." Eri admitted. To Finn's surprise, Xyn glanced at Eri, a barely perceptible blush in her cheeks.

He wasn't sure what to say about that.

"Refreshed; I feel like I'm just two-hundred again!" Darsan said, giving his rare smile. "How'd things go back here?"

Finn gestured at Kyra, who said, "Pretty good. Billy's info caught their attention. We've got a meeting later today on the Citadel with Admiral Ulenko and Counciller Breven."

"That's good news." Eri said, nodding. "That means this mess is almost over."

"Maybe." Finn conceded. After a moment, he said, "It's not all good news though. Mannon got reassigned."

Xyn seemed the most saddened by this news. "Sherle's gone?"

"Yeah." Finn told her. "Whatever's going on in the Krogan DMZ has the Alliance spooked. Besides, her post was on J-27."

"Sadly; still, it seems wrong that she's gone. She's one of us."

"I know." Finn agreed.

Kyra rubbed his arm, her gaze sympathetic. "It's not goodbye, remember?"

Finn smiled at her and nodded. "She's right. We'll warn the Alliance and once they deal with the threat, we'll rebuild J-27. As soon as the krogan thing blows over, I'm sure we can request her back."

"Firmly; that's right. I've got connections; if I push hard enough, we'll definitely get her back."

Something about the certainty in Darsan's implied tone reassured Finn. With a final glance at his pathetic hand, he tossed his cards on the crate and handed the rest of his chips to Kyra, who let out a squeal of delight before snatching the bag from his hand.

Hopping off the crate, he said, "Well, now that everyone's aboard, we might as well head out. Jake?"

"Yo!"

"I'll need someone at the comm. Mind taking over?"

"Sure thing!"

The Citadel was by far the most impressive artificial structure in the entire Universe. A space station of massive proportions, the Citadel was the seat of the Council. The station was still in Earth's orbit from the aftermath of the Reaper War, mostly due to the fact that no one could figure out how the Reapers had got it there in the first place.

Rumors still abounded as to the nature of the Citadel; popular belief held that it was made by the Protheans, but many whispered of strange beings that had existed since the dawn of the galaxy. Others maintained that it was the Reapers had built it to facilitate their invasion, only to be thwarted by the legendary Commander John Shepard.

Whoever made it, there was no denying that it was a massive hub of galactic politics. In addition to the five councilors, the Citadel was home to ambassadors and embassies of every space-faring race, as well as millions of citizens going about their daily lives. It was a hub of galactic economics as well; while there was no black market per se, the average shopper could find pretty much anything he, she, or it wanted.

Normally, a civilian ship like the Ulasomorf would have to dock at one of the lower wards. Fortunately, Kyra had managed to secure them access to the Alliance docking area.

In retrospect, Finn realized that having Jake man the comm was a mistake.

"This is Citadel Control to the Ulasomorf. Ulasomorf, are you reading us?"

Jake put his hands on the edge of his console. "Uh, loud and clear. Where do ya want us, man?"

After a momentary pause, the man on the other side asked, "To whom am I speaking?"

"Oh, I'm Jake. Who are you?"

"Jake who?"

"Your name is Jake who?" Jake asked, surprised. "Wow. What are the odds of that?"

"No, I mean, what is your full name?"

"Jake the … uh, dog."

Finn had to struggle not to laugh in the ensuing silence.

"You're a dog." The officer asked, his voice flat.

"Right. Well, kinda. It's a long story; see, I was-"

Finn interrupted, "This is the Captain of the Ulasomorf. Sorry; we just lost our comm officer. We secured permission to land here, probably under the name Kyra'Shor."

After a few moments, the officer replied in a relieved tone. "Ah, here you are. Okay, you're cleared for docking station B-7. Your escort will be waiting."

"Thank you." Finn reached over to Jake's console and cut the transmission off.

Jake pouted. "Sorry, Finn. I guess I'm not really good at this."

"You kidding?" Finn said, flashing him a grin. "Are you kidding? You're a natural!"

Once they were docked, the crew met in the cargo bay and headed out the docking tube. As they walked out onto the metal walkway, Xyn slowly spun around, her eyes darting around in a futile attempt to see everything at once.

Finn couldn't blame her; the sight of the Citadels five arms was nothing short of amazing. Although they could only see the nearest buildings on the arm they were on, the idea that each of the other arms were just as packed was astounding.

Two C-Sec officers were waiting at the end of the walkway with a middle-aged human woman in an Alliance Uniform.

"Kyra?" She asked, her eyes sifting through the rest of the crew.

Kyra stepped forward and gave the woman a hug. "Hi, Auntie Meg."

Stepping back, Kyra turned to the rest of the group, saying, "Everyone, this is Megan Alenko. She's an admiral or something, I think."

"Something like that." Admiral Alenko said, smirking.

She looked at the group, a hint of amusement in her gaze as she took each crewperson in turn. It might have been Finn's imagination, but she seemed to stare at him just a bit longer than the others.

"You've all made today quite interesting." She told them. "Cerberus, Reapers, The Illusive Man. Even with the proof you provided, if anyone but Kyra had brought this to me, I'd think they were either pulling a massive prank or trying to spread a panic."

She nodded to the C-Sec officers, saying, "I'll take it from here, officers."

They nodded and walked away. Admiral Alenko motioned for them to follow her, saying, "If you will, ladies and gentlemen."

They followed her into a large lift at the end of the docking station. As the massive doors closed and the elevator began its ascent, Kyra slipped her hand into Finn's.

Admiral Alenko noticed. "Oh? Kyra, you left out the part about having a boyfriend. Did you tell your mother or your sisters yet?"

Kyra blushed, saying, "I haven't really had the time. We've been busy y'know … running from Cerberus and the Blue Suns."

"Here's a tip; when you do talk to them, leave that last bit out."

The lift opened onto the presidium, a massive open deck of the station that encircled the Council Tower. The gleaming white walls and healthy trees and bushes gave the entire area an air of serenity.

"Oh!" Xyn whispered. She ran out to the park directly in front of the lift. Her bare feet glided through the grass as she hurried over to a large tree next to an artificial pond.

"Don't see many scaal this far from New Elysia." Admiral Alenko commented. "A shame, really. I've never seen one alone though."

"It's uncommon." Finn said, watching as Xyn dipped her hands into the water. There was an almost child-like look of delight in her face.

Admiral Alenko cleared her throat, saying, "We really should be moving on."

"I'll stay with her." Eri volunteered. "I wasn't going to be able to contribute much anyway."

Finn patted Eri's shoulder thankfully; he couldn't bear to make her leave after seeing her so happy. "We'll meet up here later."

Earth's embassy was a large open-air building not far from the Citadel Tower. Most of the traffic around the area was human, with the occasional non-human lobbyist. Naturally, Finn and company drew more than one curious lance, though to be fair, it was hard to not look notice Darsan with a hat like that.

The Chamber of the Human Councilor was pristine, yet very simple. The room itself seemed far too large for the one chair and desk that served as the only furniture in the room. There were a few ornamental vases on fancy pedastals, and a few paintings were hung here and there on the wall.

The man sitting at the desk stood up as they group approached. He was a little shorter than Finn, and well into his fifties from the look of his rapidly receding hairline. There was something in his eyes that left Finn feeling a bit uneasy. To be fair, however, his anxiety was undoubtedly high at the moment; with all the Alliance personnel around.

"Counciller Breven." Admiral Alenko said, turning to face the others. "These are the people who found the information on Cerberus."

"Indeed?" Breven asked, raising a grey eyebrow. "A startling revelation, if true. Still, I understand you risked your lives to bring us this information, as well as a schematic for a damn impressive piece of tech."

"You did see the proof, right?" Finn asked.

The Councilor nodded. "Indeed. Intimidating stuff. The scans you provided match with our records as well."

He sat down, saying, "A Reaper, after all these years."

"You believe us, don't you?" Kyra asked.

Breven nodded. "Not much of a choice. You've got reasonable proof, and after what happened four-hundred years ago, the Alliance is taking this very seriously. The problem is convincing the other Councilor.

"Reassuring; you will find Councilor Mattak very supportive." Glancing at Finn, Darsan added, "We're old friends."

Chuckling, Breven said, "Well, that's something anyway. To be honest, I'm more worried about the source of this information."

"I don't follow." Finn asked guardedly.

"Well, your captain's name garners some respect, but look at the rest of your crew." He picked up his datapad, saying, "Most of your crew came from station J-27, correct?"

"That's right." Finn said. "Mannon, Darsan, Jake and me."

"Pretty far out there, wouldn't you say?"

Finn narrowed his eyes at the Councilor. "This isn't some kind of isolation dementia; you said yourself that the scans matched."

Breven held up his hand, saying, "You don't have to convince me; like I said before, I can't risk not taking you seriously. Rumors have been running around for ages that Cerberus wasn't really destroyed, and this definitely confirms it as far as the Alliance is concerned. Unfortunately, we can't just send a fleet across the galaxy to act on this information right now, not with the krogan situation building. We need to convince the other Councilors that the treat exists. In the least, we need them to get suspicious enough to send a Spectre to investigate."

"So what does who we are have to do with anything?" Kyra asked, her hands on her hips.

"Please, Miss Kyra; you need to understand the way politics work here. While our relationship with the turians is better than it was prior to the Reaper War, the krogan situation has them on the defensive, and unwilling to part with any of their own troops. The asari, on the other hand, seem obsessed with the status quo. The Salarian Councilor might listen to us, I think, but the others will latch on to anything as an excuse to discredit the information. Your captain's got some connections, and that'll help, but respectfully, the rest of your team consists of a single scaal, a turian with a history for petty crimes, an antique KEI-9 unit, a repairman, and an exotic dancer."

Finn looked at Kyra, who blushed furiously and turned away.

Sighing, Breven said, "I don't mean to offend you, Kyra; I don't mean to offend any of you. I'm just telling you how it is."

"Plaintively; are you saying it's hopeless?" Darsan asked.

Breven shook his head. "Of course not. Your evidence is extremely solid; I'm pretty sure I can get two of the other Councilors to side with us. I'm just warning you ahead of time that it might not be as simple as you may be hoping."

That wasn't quite the reassurance Finn wanted, but he could tell the man was being honest with them.

"I understand." Finn told him. "I'm sure you'll do your best … and thank you."

"No, thank you, my boy." Breven told him. "You're the ones who risked your lives to bring this information to us. I just hope your faith in the Council will be justified."

Admiral Alenko led them out of the room. Once the doors shut behind them, she said, "You should all take a bit of a break; wander around, maybe do some shopping. It'll be a few hours before the Council convenes."

"Thank you." Kyra said, rubbing her elbow.

As Alenko went back into the Councilor's quarters, Kyra started walking slowly down the hallway.

Finn patted Mannon on the shoulder, saying, "Listen, could you guys go on ahead and meet up with Eri? We'll be along in a second."

"Understanding; Sure thing, Finn. With authority; Come on everyone."

The rest of the group walked past Kyra, leaving the two of them alone in the hallway.

Finn walked up to her. Slipping his hand into hers, he said, "C'mon. Let's go for a walk."

They left the embassy in silence. Finn couldn't help but feel a little worried at her strange behavior. It felt positively strange for him to take the lead from her.

He led her to another park; a few people were sitting on benches under shade trees. The artificial sky above them had no true sun, but images of clouds passed by creating the illusion of a normal sky.

They walked until they were a good distance away from anyone else.

He stared at her for a long moment; she walked with her eyes downcast. It was like she was ashamed, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out why.

"Kyra," He began.

"I wasn't a stripper." She said quickly. "Or a prostitute. It was just quarian folk dancing, I swear!"

"Whoa!" Finn said, holding up a hand. "Easy, there! It's okay."

She opened her mouth and quickly shut it. Looking away, she said, "It wasn't like exotic exotic dancing; I mean, we wore skimpy outfits, but it wasn't …"

"Hey." He told her, squeezing her hand. "It's fine. I'm hardly one to go around passing judgment on other people. I wouldn't do that anyway; there's nothing wrong with being an exotic dancer."

He allowed himself a grin. "I bet you were cute."

She forced a smile. "Were?"

"Yes, were." He told her, drawing her close. "Now, you're pretty."

"Just pretty?" She asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Beautiful." He whispered before kissing her. She was caught by surprise; once again, he had taken the initiative.

As their lips separated, Kyra's eyes met his. Her voice serious and heavy, she whispered, "Thanks Finn."

"For what?" He asked.

"For being Finn."

He chuckled as they started walking again. "Anytime. It's what I'm best at, after all."


	29. Chapter 29 - Irresolution

Chapter 29

**Irresolution**

The crew stayed together while they waited for the news. Darsan gave them a bit of a tour of several of the wards; he often wandered off topic, telling stories of when he had lived in the Citadel. There was a little shopping, but for the most part, they just took in the sights before finally returning to the Presidium.

There was a nice restaurant with a large park made specifically for picnics; after ordering enough food for everyone, Finn picked up the massive basket and headed out into the park where the others were waiting beneath the shade of a large oak tree.

"All right, everyone." Finn said, sitting down beside Kyra with his basket. After sifting through the contents for the moment, he said, "One caeser salad for Miss Xyn."

She took the plate from Xyn with a nod of thanks. She still had a little aura of sunshine and happiness surrounding her. The artificial sunlight wasn't quite the same as the real thing apparently, as her hair only came to her waist, but it was still a vibrant green.

"One extra large mixed green salad with grilled chicken and no onions."

"Thankfully; Right here, Finn." Darsan said, his hand practically enveloping the bowl.

"A cheeseburger with barbecue sauce and no tomato with …"

Kyra took it from him before he could even mention the french fries, leaving him holding a handful of air. She gave him a kiss on the cheek before opening her container.

Shaking his head, he pulled out the next package and said, "One can of Peng Cola Classic."

"Ooh!" Jake said standing up and starting to leap about in place. He leapt up and caught it in midair easily.

"Let's see; one order of … er …" Finn looked at the food uncertainly, not sure how to pronounce the name or describe the oddly colorful food. Even the smell made him scratch his head.

"Kryrkshal Byansten." Eri supplied helpfully, reaching out for his lunch.

Shrugging, Finn handed the container to Eri. As he settled back down and everyone else started to eat, Kyra glanced at him and asked, "Where's your lunch?"

"I'm not hungry." Finn confessed. "Too nervous. Besides …"

He slipped his arm around her and snagged a french fry. She made a swat at his hand, but he was just a bit faster.

"You did say you wouldn't let me go hungry." He told her, pausing a moment before kissing off a bit of barbecue on her cheek from her first bite.

She moved her food a little further away from him, blushing slightly.

Chuckling to himself, he leaned back against the tree and stared up at the artificial sky. Even if the clouds weren't real, it still felt relaxing to watch them drift slowly across the blue sky. He really hadn't had much of a chance to truly relax lately. With any luck, he'd have a bit more time in the future to kick up his heels and just sit around.

Xyn sat back from her unfinished meal, asking, "What are the Reapers?"

Eri practically choked on whatever it was he was eating. When he finally recovered, he asked, "Where did that come from?"

"I'm curious; Finn was shaken by the mere mention of one. Even mentioning them seems to darken people's spirits. Were they truly so terrifying?"

"Pretty damn terrifying." Eri told her. "They practically trashed Palavan. We still haven't repaired all the damage."

"Sadly; Dekuuna as well." Darsan said, staring into his salad.

"I hear Thessia's pretty much the same." Kyra said sadly. "It's sad, really; Thessia's beyond beautiful. The asari were damn near annihilated."

"We all were damn near annihilated." Finn told her. "The Reapers left their mark on the galaxy. Fortunately, we managed to put aside our differences and beat them back in the end."

"Well," Kyra amended. "At least long enough for Shepard to activate the Crucible."

Xyn bowed her head, saying respectfully, "The loss of life must have been tremendous. What were the Reapers, anyway?"

"Some kinda synthetic life, right?" Jake asked; he had finished his soda and was now bending the can into a miniature version of himself.

"It's a bit more complicated than that." Kyra told him. "The Reapers were designed to solve the problem of synthetic life eventually overtaking organic life. Unfortunately, they turned on their creators and latched onto the idea of basically wiping out anyone past a certain technological level in the galaxy."

"That's a bit extreme." Xyn said. "How did they know it would always turn out that way?"

"Faulty programming." Finn replied, shaking his head. "Bastards didn't even give people a chance. Bit them in the ass, though, didn't it? Ol' Shep managed to unite the galaxy. Hell, he even managed to bring peace to the quarians and the geth."

"Tenative peace." Said Eri, stirring his food absently with his fork.

Finn told him, "You can't start thinking like that. They at least deserved a chance at a lasting peace. Everyone deserves a chance."

Jake sat up suddenly. "Uh oh. Incoming, guys."

Finn followed his gaze to see Admiral Alenko heading their way.

"Hey, Auntie." Kyra said as she stuck a fry in Finn's mouth. "What's up? Good news?"

A look at the Admiral's face made Finn's heart sink. "You're kidding." He whispered, fry drooping out of the corner of his mouth like a cigarette.

"I'm sorry." Admiral Alenko said.

Everyone stared down at the remainder of their food as they contemplated this turn of events.

"Disbelieving; Councilor Mattak …"

"Was the only one who supported us." Alenko finished. "He was very adamant about it; said you'd never pull a stunt like this. Unfortunately, there was a flaw in the evidence that lost us the salarian vote."

"Flaw?" Finn asked.

"In short, they think that this whole thing is some kind of Alliance plot. The salarians aren't wanting to get involved in 'Earth' affairs with the krogan situation looming above our heads, and the turians are too busy trying to make sure their own space is protected.

"What of the asari?" Xyn asked. "They are an even-minded people; surely they would have supported us with the evidence."

"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Admiral Alenko sighed and shook her head. "Despite everything the elcor and humans have done for the galaxy, the asari still view us as little more than children. When things get tough, the asari councilor always sides with the old council races."

Kyra put down her burger. Finn couldn't blame her; what little appetite he had was not gone.

"Well, that's it then, isn't it?" Eri said, anger and disappointment in his voice.

"I'm sorry." Admiral Alenko told them. "All I can tell you is that the Alliance is taking this seriously, and the elcor councilor has already offered support. I'd be lying if I said that I thought it was enough with the whole galaxy on edge about the damn krogans. Still, I want you all to know that we appreciate you bringing this to light. It wasn't for nothing."

Alenko's eyes fell on Finn. She looked as though she wanted to say something else, but couldn't quite figure out what. With a final nod of her head, she walked away.

Finn stood up, saying, "Finish eating and meet up on the Ulasomorf. We'll talk about our next step when I get there."

"Do we have a next step?" Eri asked.

"We'll talk about that too." Finn said. He gave Kyra a quick kiss on the cheek before running after Admiral Alenko.

"Hey!" He called out when he managed to catch up with her. "What aren't you telling us?"

"It's irrelevant now." Admiral Alenko told him.

Finn hurried around her and stood in front of her to stop her from walking. "If there was a glitch in the proof, I can check it again. I've got a guy on board who's good at that sorta thing. Hell, he might be able to get more evidence."

"It won't help." Glancing back in the direction of the park, Admiral Alenko said, "The information you provided had evidence of geth tampering."

"It came from a geth." Finn told her truthfully.

"You have a geth on board your ship?" She asked, her eyes wide.

"In a matter of speaking. Look, if it comes to that, maybe I can rig up some sort of communication interface or something; let the Council speak to Billy directly." Finn sighed, and said, "Cerberus nearly managed to screw the entire galaxy over last time. Whatever they're planning can't be good, not after four-hundred years of planning. Hell, this trouble with the krogan sounds right up their alley!"

"I agree."

Finn blinked. "You do?"

"Yes, I do. I told you, the Alliance is taking this very seriously." Alenko let out a sigh of her own. "The Council believes the evidence is tainted by Alliance interests."

"What? How? Why?"

"Because your ship is registered to a former member of the Alliance who deserted years ago. They think he's basically working for the Alliance; essentially cooking up this evidence to garner support. The kid was a bit of a prodigy back in the day, so this sort of thing wouldn't be beyond him, not that I believe it so. Mattok didn't buy it, but the others did."

Finn didn't know what to say. He was stunned to find out that after Cerberus and the Blue Suns, the proof of the Reaper was being dismissed because of him.

"I'm sorry." Alenko said truthfully. "I wish we could've done more. You and your friends are of course welcome to stay in Alliance Space for protection until we deal with Cerberus, but I can't make any promises."

Finn wanted to argue, but there was nothing to say. Bowing his head, he said, "Thank you, Admiral. Even if the Council won't help us, it's good to know that someone believes in us."

She accepted the thanks with a nod before continuing on her path.

The walk back to the Ulasomorf felt like a small eternity. Finn knew this wasn't about him; it was about politics. The Councilors were looking after their own. When it came down to it, who were they, anyway?

As he entered the cargo bay, he saw every eye turn his way.

He didn't know what to tell them. He couldn't bear to let them know his part in their failure to convince the Council.

"Ideas?" He asked, but even to him it sounded weak.

After a long silence, Darsan said, "Speculative; we could go to Dekuuna and begin rebuilding J-27."

"What about Cerberus and the Reaper?" Finn asked.

Darsan shrugged his massive shoulders. "Weakly; maybe they won't find us. We changed our transponder, and we have the cloaking device."

"You mean just run away?" Eri said, sounding surprised.

"What else could we do?"

Everyone stared at Finn. Blushing, Finn said, "We can't fight Cerberus, not alone. We're not soldiers, and our ship is only a salvage vessel. The Council won't listen to us, and the Alliance pretty much said that they can't do anything at the moment."

Kyra's face suddenly hardened. "Then we make them listen."

Now everyone was staring at her.

"We … we go find more proof. We give them the generator and the ship, we let Billy talk to them. We have to do something, right?"

Finn wanted to say she was right; he wanted to rally up the others and come up with some plan, but the helplessness hanging over him was too cloying. He looked away from Kyra wordlessly.

"Finn." She whispered, the disappointment in her voice hitting him like a knife in the heart.

"We should get ready to leave." Finn said quietly. "Anyone wanting to head off should do so within the hour."

Kyra opened her mouth to argue, but nothing came out. Slowly, a look of anger spread over her face. Without a word, she stomped off towards the lift.

"I'll talk to her." Jake said worriedly.

"After you do, could you come talk to me?" Finn asked. "'Cause I could use some Jake wisdom about now."

A ghost of a grin crossed Jake's screen. "Sure thing, bro."

"Eri?" Finn asked.

"Hey, you hired me, remember? That reminds me." He tapped his omni-tool, adding, "I think I'm about due for a payday, wouldn't you say?"

Finn couldn't help but let out a chuckle, despite the dour mood that had fallen over him. "Sure thing."

He waved his own omni-tool, confirming the transfer. "There you go. We can delay our departure if you want to pick up a few things."

"I think I just might. Darsan?"

"Resigned; Sure. I could always use another hat."

Once they were gone, Xyn asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Finn lied. "Aside from the obvious, of course. Why do you ask?"

"Your spirit seems … dim. It reminds me of the days before you left New Elysia." A worried look crossed her face. "You aren't leaving us, are you?"

"No!" Finn said, with just a bit more force than he intended. Sighing, he said, "No, Xyn. I'm not abandoning you or anyone else on this ship. I'm just … frustrated, that's all."

After a few moments, she gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

"It's easy to let the darkness consume us." She said sadly. "Just remember, when it feels like it's too much to handle on your own … we're here for you just as much as you've been here for us."

Finn blushed, saying, "Thank you Xyn. I think … I needed to hear that."

She smiled sweetly at him before bowing her head and walking away gracefully.

That left one crew member left, one that Finn wasn't looking forward to talking to. With a resigned sigh, he climbed into Billy and slid his hands into the console.

Billy was standing in a grassy field this time, his back to Finn as the human approached.

Finn tried to think of something to say, some way to not sound like they had failed, but everything just sounded empty in his head. Sighing, he said, "I'm sorry."

Billy didn't respond. Finn couldn't blame him; four hundred years, and the death of his people … for what? Vague promises of help?

"I let you down." Finn said quietly. "I let everyone down. I thought I could run away from my mistakes, and yet they still keep biting me in the ass."

After a moment of silence, he said, "Maybe that's just the way my life is. Maybe I really have just screwed up once too often."

"You did not fail."

Finn looked up. "Huh?"

"You did not fail. You simply haven't succeeded yet."

Billy turned to Finn, his eyes strangely piercing. "Do you remember what I asked you before I showed you the Reaper?"

Finn nodded, saying, "You asked me what would I do to protect my family."

Billy nodded. There was a strangely reluctant look on his face as he approached Finn.

Looking up at him, Billy said, "I have to show you. You have to know, to understand the stakes."

Nodding, Finn knelt down so he could look Billy in the eyes.

Billy reached forward and placed his hands on either side of Finn's head.

He looked apologetic as he said, "This … will hurt, Finn. I wish there was another way."

Sensing the importance of this, Finn nodded and steeled himself for what was to come.

The world turned to chaos. Finn's mind was flooded with images and memories; dead people converted into horrible versions of unlife, their essence replaced with the cold logic of an insane intelligence, tearing apart soldiers desperately fighting to protect their friends and loved ones. Images of innocent men, women, and children dragged through the streets, converted into more horrific abominations.

Worlds were torn asunder, tens of thousands of years of progress reduced to rubble and death under the looming forms of the Reapers. The massive ancient synthetics moved with a calculated ease as they ripped and tore and clawed civilization into ruins.

Again, and again, these images flowed through Finn's mind without rest, without reprieve. He desperately wanted to look away, but there was no choice but to watch as the Reapers slowly annihilated everything they touched. The smell of ash and blood filled his nostrils and the screams of the dying filled his ears until he felt as though he would go mad.

Finn fell to the grass, his mind pounding from too much sensory overload.

"I'm sorry." Billy told him, looking truly apologetic. "You had to know; to see how bad things were the last time."

Finn slowly managed to push himself off of the ground. His head was still throbbing, but the peaceful surroundings did much to ease his mind from the threshold of insanity.

"B-but there's only one." Finn told him. "Just one Reaper; One Reaper can be stopped."

The sadness in Billy's eyes only deepened. Finn flinched as he reached out and touched Finn's temples once again.

He was surrounded by the inky blackness of space. His heart raced for a moment before his mind reminded the rest of him that it was just a simulation.

His view turned to an image of the Milky Way Galaxy; a sea of stars swirling around in the cosmic void. It made him feel very small, but also part of something bigger.

Without warning, he seemed to fly forward. Stars and planets whizzed by him as he seemed to literally zoom in on the galaxy, bringing him to the station in the Minax system where the Illusive Man's Reaper lay in wait.

After a few moments, Finn saw another image in his head; an identical station in the Silean Nebula. Moments later, there was another in Maroon Sea, and then another in the Apien Crest. More and more images of similar stations appeared in his mind, about fifty in all until his view zoomed out to the galaxy at large. As he stared at the dots representing the stations spread out evenly across the galaxy, Billy's meaning became clear.

"What would you do to keep you family safe?" Billy's voice whispered as the sweeping plains of Rannoch appeared once again around him.

Finn was silent for a long moment before finally whispering, "Anything."

The interface released him. As he sat back, he realized someone was asking him something. He slowly turned his head to see Kyra looking at him with concern. Eri and Darsan were standing behind her; from the new hat Darsan was wearing, he realized they must've already completed their little shopping trip.

"How long was I gone?" He asked.

"Three hours." Her concern quickly turned to alarm. "Finn." She whispered. "You're crying."

Finn felt his cheek and his hand came away wet. He closed his fist, resolve filling his very core.

"We're not giving up yet." He said firmly. "Get everyone back in here. If I'm going to do this, we're going to need a plan."


	30. Chapter 30 - The Truth

Chapter 30

**The Truth**

Finn and Kyra walked along the Presidium hand in hand, the Citadel Tower looming ahead of them.

"Finn …" She began. "You don't have to do this."

"I wish I didn't." He stopped and ran his hand down her cheek, saying, "Believe me, I wish there was another option."

"But ..." She said, flustered. "I'm sorry if I stormed off earlier. I was just feeling …"

"I know." He told her gently. "We all were."

He kissed her and hugged her close. "It'll work out. Somehow. It always does."

She still looked unhappy. Seeing her sad made Finn's heart ache, but there was no more time for doubting. It was time to throw in his last chip and hope his hand was a winning one.

Bowing his head, he said, "You don't have to go with me."

"Yeah, I kinda do." She told him, squeezing him a little more tightly. "We're in this together, right?"

As they neared the lift that would bring them to the top of the tower, one of the two guards stationed held up his hand to stop them.

"Can I help you?" The turian asked as his fellow guard looked on impassively from his helmet.

Finn nodded, saying, "Someone sent a complaint about the elevator acting a bit wonky, so my boss sent us to check it out."

"The keepers usually fix this sort of thing." The guard said, his eyes narrowing.

"I know, right?" Finn said, trying to sound harried. "Let the bugs fix it up, that's what I told him."

"And what did your boss say?"

"He said we either fix the damn thing or me and the missus end up cooking ramen in the Zakera Ward."

The guard let out a sharp laugh. "Sounds like ol' Gus. All right then; go ahead."

"Thanks, man." Finn pulled out a spanner for show and stepped into the lift, Kyra following behind him.

Finn made what he hoped was a believable pretense of checking the elevator systems for signs of an error that probably didn't exist. After a few minutes, he leaned back and said, "Damn."

"What's wrong?" The guard asked.

"Well, it looks like there's a miscalibration in the runtime circuitry. Nothing I can't fix, but it means I'll be going up and down in the elevator for about an hour to make sure it's right."

"Sure thing. Oh, I do need to see your work order, though; regulations and all that."

Finn grimaced and shook his head. "Damn. I was sure that would work. Eri?"

"Huh?"

The guard didn't even have time to turn around before the other guard gave him a nasty shock with his omni-tool. He deftly caught the guard before he fell.

"I woulda bought it." Eri told him. Shrugging, he started dragging the soldier away, muttering loudly about guards drinking on duty when someone looked at him.

Darsan, wearing a truly revolting pink trench coat that somehow matched and didn't match his hat, approached the lift with Xyn following close behind. "Excited; so far so good, right?"

"Er … right."

Everyone was silent as they rode the lift. The plan was wild, it was crazy … and that was how they all knew it would work. All they had to do was get to the Council while it was still in session.

"Did Jake give you any trouble?" Finn asked.

Xyn shook her head, saying, "He's a little sweetie. He fit in the maintenance conduit just like you said he would."

"Good." Finn said grimly. "We need him for the next part of our plan."

The lift doors opened to reveal the top of the Council Tower. Even under the circumstances, the majesty of the vast chamber did not escape Finn's gaze. The trees were ornamental, grown for their beauty rather than fruit or shade. A vast fountain had been built not far from the elevator, in the center of which was a great monument to Shepard and his team.

Finn read the names as he passed by; a few were familiar, namely John Shepard, Tali-Zorah, and Garrus Vakarian. One of his old drill sergeants claimed to be descended from Vakarian. The turian instructor claimed his family had been part of the Alliance ever since, though no one was sure whether he was telling the truth or just trying to impress them.

The other names weren't familiar, but seeing their statues left Finn feeling in awe. Drell, krogan, asari, salarian, and geth stood together in silent testament to that one moment when the galaxy stood as one and beat the odds. That was something Finn couldn't help but respect.

"Hey." Kyra whispered, pointing above them. Finn glanced up and his jaw immediately dropped.

"Wow!" He whispered. "Is that …"

"The Normandy SR-2." Kyra whispered.

The ship looked impressive even by modern standards. It hovered just outside the glass ceiling outside a special docking bay designed for tours of the famous ship. Finn wished he could see it himself, even though after what he was about to do, he'd be lucky if he'd be able to even set foot on the Citadel without assistance.

Several guards had taken notice of Finn and company, no small surprise seeing as none of them looked like politicians, especially Darsan.

"Here we go." Finn whispered as the guards started to approach. "Jake?"

"I'm ready." Jake's voice whispered in his ear.

"Now."

A nearby vent banged open. Moments later, Jake's compressed form rolled out. Resuming his usual form in a matter of seconds, he quickly began to run towards Darsan. With a flying leap, he caught Darsan's hat on the small clamp that served as his 'mouth' and hit the ground running and barking like a dog possessed.

Drawing in a deep breath, Darsan bellowed, "ENRAGED! MY HAT! GET BACK HERE!"

Jake ran straight past the guards, who had time to look confused before Darsan barged past them like a charging krogan.

"Kyra!" Finn called out.

"I'm on it!" She said, already running back to the elevator to make sure no more guards would be coming for the near future.

Xyn and Finn ran past the fountain and up the steps towards the area the Council was meeting. Unfortunately, two guards who looked as though they didn't even know the concept of nonsense stopped them in their path. There were two krogan there as well, already arguing with the guards.

"You can't go up there." The first said. "The Council is in session."

"Look here, you pyjak." Said the krogan, his face and red headplate heavily scarred. "I've got information those idiots are going to want to hear, and I will walk through you to do it."

"Oh, lord." Finn whispered. There was going to be an incident; at the first instant the krogan started trouble, the Council were going to be whisked away, and everything that they had just done would be for nothing.

"Xyn?" Finn asked.

"Say no more." Xyn glided forward, her bare feet barely seeming to touch the ground as she moved between the guards and the krogan.

"Be at peace, my friends." She said, her voice exuding a calming effect. "There is no need for violence here; surely we can reach a reasonable agreement?"

The guards seemed dumbfounded by the scaal. Her beauty and grace, coupled with her voice and a healthy dose of her natural skill as she continued to speak left them relaxed and unaware of the branches of the nearby trees slowly reaching toward them.

For a moment, Finn thought the krogan were buying it too. That was until the one who had spoken turned an eye on him. Certain he had just been caught, Finn stood his ground and matched the krogan's stare as best he could.

Just as the krogan opened his mouth, the guards suddenly went rigid; the branches and roots of the nearby trees had slowly wound around their bodies, pinning their arms and legs in place. They stared at Xyn, their eyes wide as she approached each in turn and blew a burst of dust in their faces, knocking them out cold.

The krogan stared at Finn a moment longer before letting out a chuckle. "No bad, kid. You here to see the Council too?"

"Yes." Finn told him. "It's important."

"So's what I'm gonna tell them. You think what you've got's more important than war?"

Throwing all caution to the wind, Finn admitted, "Reapers."

The krogan's eyes widened; Finn knew they lived a long time, nearly as old as the asari. From the krogan's age, he might very well have been around the last time.

Finn waited for the denial, the accusations of lying. That's why he was surprised when the krogan stepped aside, saying, "Go ahead."

Nodding in thanks, both to the krogan and to Xyn, Finn hurried up the remaining steps to where the Council was meeting.

Looks like it wasn't a moment too soon, either; the asari councilor's tone made it clear they were wrapping things up. Admiral Alenko was there as well. When she turned and saw Finn, he saw her lips twitch into a slight smile. Even Councilor Breven only seemed mildly surprised by Finn's presence.

Taking a deep breath, Finn said as loudly and politely as he could manage, "Ladies and gentlemen of the Council, I apologize for this intrusion and beg forgiveness for not going by protocol, but I have something important to tell you."

"Who is this?" The turian councilor demanded. "Security!"

"Cerberus is alive and well." Finn continued, his voice growing louder as he dared not stop. "They have a Reaper, and the Illusive Man is still leading them."

The salarian councilor waved his words aside, saying, "We've already discussed this. While we admire the Alliance's perseverance, we cannot allocate resources on information that may proof subversive or faulty."

"They destroyed my home!" Finn continued. "They've chased us across the galaxy to stop us from bringing you this information! Billy risked over four-hundred years of silence because he knew it was important."

"Who is Billy?" The asari councilor asked curiously. "There was no mention of him in the report."

Finn took another deep breath as he prepared for the first hurtle. "Billy is the last of the geth. Whatever protected the Reaper protected him while he was investigating."

The elcor Councilor (Finn remembered Darsan mentioning his name was 'Mattak') asked, "Intruigued; I had a feeling there was something left out of the report. This geth has indeed risked a great deal for the sake of the galaxy."

"If it's a geth." The salarian said guardedly. "We have no proof."

"The videos were compressed using a recorded geth compression algorithm." The asari councilor mused. "If this 'Billy' would be willing to speak with us …"

"He can't, I'm afraid." Finn told her. "He lost his platform years ago; he's stuck in the prototype ship."

"How did you communicate with him?" Councilor Breven asked curiously.

"Neural interface." Finn replied. "He waited until he was sure we weren't with Cerberus, then told me himself. He gave me the proof; we didn't tell you because … well, because it's crazy! If we came forward saying the last of the geth gave us proof that the Illusive Man's now a Reaper, you'd think we were bonkers!"

For a moment, Finn felt that he might have won. Even the turian councilor looked uncertain.

The salarian councilor, on the other hand, shook his head. "This means nothing."

"Rebuking; Councilor Kirrahe, this changes the entire report."

"This changes nothing." The salarian glared at Finn, saying, "This could simply be more of the ploy; Councilor Breven admitted that Cresste was more than capable of managing something like this if he put his mind to it. Besides, we've never found another surviving geth or Reaper in four-hundred years. If there was some way to shield them, wouldn't one have surfaced by now?"

The turian councilor seemed almost relieved. "That is a good point. This threat could be nothing more than a prank by a disgraced Alliance soldier."

"It's not a prank." Finn said. It was hard not to start shouting right then and there.

"There's no shame in being fooled." The asari told Finn. "He very nearly fooled us all."

"If there is no other business …"

"There's more than one!" Finn shouted, desperate. "Billy showed me! There are at least fifty, maybe more!"

"Where the hell is security?" The turian councilor muttered, tapping his earpiece.

This was it; there was only one card left to play.

Taking a deep breath, Finn said, "I'm Finn Cresste!"

The room fell silent. Even Admiral Alenko and Councilor Breven were staring at him in shock.

"I'm the captain of the Ulasomorf." Finn continued. "I'm the one who unlocked the ship for Krieger; I'm the one who unknowingly brought it with me to Omega and New Elysia."

The salarian recovered quickly. "Then you admit that you are an Alliance criminal?"

"Yes." Finn said. "I caused the accident that destroyed the Jalex Array. I'm the one responsible for the injuries to Katt and Rico, and when I couldn't face that, I ran away from the Alliance."

"You deserted?" The turian councilor said, disgust clear in his voice.

"I ran away. It's all I knew how to do." Finn took another breath and continued, "That's why I was on J-27."

Councilor Breven sounded a little sad as he said, "Finn, you know we'll have to turn you in."

"I know." Finn admitted, trying to ignore the fact that he had pretty much just thrown away everything. "So when you're writing off everything my crew went through to warn you, consider that. This isn't about me; it's about the galaxy. If you don't take this seriously, people are going to get hurt. People are going to die."

Two guards hurried up the stairwell, but Admiral Alenko held up a hand to stay them. Finn glanced back at them a moment before looking back at the Councilors.

"Everything I've done wrong in my life was because I thought I knew what was best. I thought I knew better than anyone else, regardless of proof or evidence or anything. I let my pettiness overrule rationality, and at the end of the day, my arrogance hurt everyone I've ever been close to. That's something I have to live with every day for the rest of my life."

"Don't make my mistake. The cost is too high." He tried to think of something else to say, but nothing came.

After another long moment, the turian councilor muttered, "Get him out of here."

Finn felt his heart plummet. He had failed. He tried his best and sacrificed everything he had, and at the end of the day, it had been for nothing.

He offered no resistance as the guards slipped the restraints around his wrists. Before they led him away, however, he was determined to have the word.

"Hear the truth, or just ignore it" He told them, his quiet voice heard by all. "At least this time, the blood won't be on my hands."


	31. Chapter 31 - Hard Time

Chapter 31

**Hard Time**

Finn sat with his back to the rear wall of the cell. There wasn't much to say about it; it was a white box designed for keeping people like him inside.

He wondered if the others managed to get out okay; if they had followed the plan, they'd be long gone by now. Finn may have thrown his life away, but that was his choice; the last thing he wanted was to ruin their lives as well.

Thinking of Kyra hurt; he knew there was a real chance he'd never see her again. He may never see any of them again. If Cerberus had their way, all of them including he would likely be killed.

Time passed by at an agonizingly slow pace until the guard approached his force-field, saying, "You've got a visitor."

Raising an eyebrow, Finn asked, "Who?"

He walked away, only to be replaced moments later by a very apologetic-looking Admiral Alenko.

"Hey." She said, trying to sound cheerful. "How are you doing?"

"Pretty damn rotten." He told her. "Just thinking about how I threw away my life to warn a bunch of jackass politicians. How about you? Get any fishing in?"

She bowed her head, her face flushed. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry it turned out this way."

"Not as sorry as I am." Finn sighed and said, "What happened to my crew?"

"The Ulasomorf has mysteriously vanished." She said, a hint of a smile at her lips. "The crew they sent to turn her inside out only found a note that read 'J-27 or bust'.

Finn couldn't help but smile. "Well, at least something worked out all right."

"I also have a surprise for you; I had to put Breven in an arm lock, but he eventually okayed it."

A very familiar face walked by Admiral Alenko.

Finn's smile broadened. "Jake."

The field deactivated for a moment, allowing Jake to hop into the cell and bound into Finn's waiting arms.

"Hey, bro!" Jake said cheerily. "How you holding up?"

"Better now." Finn told him. "You coming along to prison?"

"About that." Alenko interrupted. "Given what you tried to do, I've had a word with some of the Alliance up-and-ups. I'm afraid there's no escaping the court-martial, but your recent actions are being taken into account. You'll probably spend some time in a military prison before being readmitted to Anderson Academy."

"You're re-enlisting me?"

"We need able-bodied people, especially those who can think outside of the box. I can't say you'll ever fly again, but there's always an opening somewhere for a skilled mechanic."

Finn was silent for a long moment before saying, "It's something, anyway. Thank you, Admiral."

She flashed him a kind smile. After a moment, she said, "Take care of Kyra, okay? She's a lot more sensitive than she acts."

Before he could ask what she meant by that, she turned and walked away.

Finn and Jake spent the rest of the day (insomuch Finn could tell day and night in the station) talking about what had happened. It had apparently been quite the narrow escape; Eri's guard had practically sent the station into lockdown when he woke up. Fortunately, the group managed to get to the ship and escape before security had a firm handle on what had happened.

Finn tried to be happy about his somewhat less bleak fate, but going back to the Academy just seemed like a step back at that point. Not being able to fly just made it worse. He was grateful that he was being given the chance, but if he had his choice, he'd much rather be back on the Ulasomorf.

It was strange; he had spent years on Earth, Omega, New Elysia, and finally J-27, but after only a few weeks, the Ulasomorf was the only place he ever felt to be his home.

Jake fell asleep in Finn's lap as the hours waned on. Finn tried to drift off, but the bed wasn't particularly comfortable. He couldn't sleep anyway. There was a strange feeling he just couldn't shake; Alenko's last words seemed … odd. Sure, he and Kyra could see each other while he was at the Acadamy, but he had no idea how to contact her now that the Ulasomorf was gone.

Just before he finally managed to drift asleep, the force-field died with a loud crackling sound.

Finn sat up, muttering, "Huh?"

"Finn."

Finn glanced down at the source of the strangely familiar feminine voice, only to find it coming from the still-sleeping form of Jake.

"Did you say something?" Finn asked.

"Yes I did. I don't have much time, so I need you to listen to me carefully; you need to pick up Jake and head down the cell block to cell13-A. Do you understand?"

"13-A." Finn repeated, growing a little suspicious.

"Good. Just remember, it's the one at the end of the corridor, right up against the wall. Now hurry; it won't take security long to realize I've hacked your cell."

Finn lifted Jake and slung him over his shoulder before heading out of the cell. He had been sitting for so long that he had to shake one of his legs awake as he stumbled down the cellblock.

"Hold on!" Said Finn's mysterious benefactor. "There's a guard headed your way. Duck into the next cell on your right; it should be empty."

The appropriate field deactivated. Finn quickly hurried inside and tried to look as inconspicuous as possible.

The guard slowly walked by, barely sparing Finn a glance, much to Finn's relief. A few moments later, Finn's new friend said, "Okay; it should be clear from this point on. Keep moving!"

Finn hurried down the hall, scanning all the doors until he found 13-A.

"Okay." He whispered, looking around for any signs of pursuit. "I'm here. Now what?"

"Get into the cell."

He started to comply when a deep suspicion ran through him. "How do I know this isn't some Cerberus ploy?"

"Simple. If I was Cerberus, I'd be chasing your ship around; you aren't really that important in a cell."

"Yeah, good point." Finn conceded before walking into the cell.

When the field reactivated, Finn asked, "Hey, what gives?"

"You might want to take cover."

"What?" Finn looked around the cell for something he could hide behind.

He was still looking when something slammed into the wall outside the cell with enough force to send masonry and metal flying in all directions. Fortunately, the Force field managed to deflect all the dangerous bits.

As the dust settled, Finn realized that it was a small reinforced shuttle. He waited as the door opened to reveal the last person he expected to save his bacon.

"Terra?"

She smiled at him. In the light, he could tell that her mandibles were actually fake, and yet she still had a very turian look about her. Slightly more feminine, perhaps, but then again, he hadn't seen many female turians before. Her face was practically human in comparison, though her eyes were much the same. She had the typical turian crest, but to his surprise, a mass of long red hair seemed to flow out from behind it.

"Finn Cresste." She said, shaking her head. "You are a difficult man to find. Still, you were on the run from Cerberus and the Blue Suns, so I won't hold it against you."

Finn had a dozen questions he wanted to ask. Unfortunately, a loud alarm began to sound.

"Damn." Terra muttered. "I thought I'd have more time. Well, come on then."

Feeling a bit numb, Finn sat down beside her in the shuttle. Bits of wall fell as the shuttle freed itself from the prison wall and flew into the sky.

"Who are you?" Finn asked as they flew towards the presidium.

"I told you; P'Terya. Technically, P'Terya Vakarian, but … well, it's a long story."

"Vakarian? As in Garrus Vakarian?"

"The same. Well, I'm really more based off of his DNA, but like I said; it's a long story."

"I bet."

It didn't take long for a few cars with flashing lights to start heading their way. Terra didn't seem to mind. If anything, it seemed to make her more excited.

"You wanna know who I work for, right?" She asked casually as she swerved around an oncoming frigate seconds before she would've plowed into it.

"Among other things." Finn said, impressed by her piloting skills.

"Well, lucky for you, she wants to meet you. Your little speech left quite an impression."

"Oh lord." Finn muttered. "Don't tell me I was on the news."

"Oh, you were everywhere. Half the galaxy's going to be talking about the man who risked prison to warn the Council. Mind you, they'll be talking about your escape, but publicity's publicity, right?"

"I can't imagine my escape will be that …" Finn stopped. He had just realized where they were going.

"No way." He murmured.

She grinned at him, showing an array of neat, pointed teeth. "You can fly a frigate, right?"

The shuttle pulled away from the traffic, several C-Sec cars following a good minute behind them as Terra aimed straight at the Normandy SR-2.

As they drew near, the shuttle hatch beneath the ship opened to receive them.

"This is gonna be a bit rough." She warned him.

Finn hugged Jake as the shuttle hit the ramp and scraped across the Normandy's shuttle bay.

After a few moments, Terra let out a "Woo! Now that was fun!"

She kicked the shuttle door open and hopped out. She poked her head back in a moment later, saying, "Uh, you coming? You're kinda a big part of our big escape plan."

"Uh, yeah." Finn said, shuffling over to the door.

He was aboard the Normandy SR-2. Finn had dreamed of walking through the legendary ship since he first started at the Academy. Jeff 'The Joker' Moreau was one of his personal heroes. He stared around the shuttle bay, taking in the old Kodiak shuttles and the completely rebuilt Hammerhead. Just looking at the Hammerhead made his fingers itch to hop in and give it a try.

Fortunately, Terra was there to put him back on track. "Oh, no; we've got a much better ship for you."

As they rode the lift up to the Combat Information Center.

"The CIC." Finn murmured, drawing a grin from Terra.

"Yup. Oh, that reminds me." She tapped her earpiece and said, "Hey, guys! I got 'em both. Yeah, we're heading up now."

"Who was that?" Finn asked curiously.

"Oh, just a couple of partners in crime." She said, tapping the side of her button of a nose.

As the doors opened, the first thing Finn saw was the star chart. It was like a miniature version of the galaxy floating in the middle of the deck.

It was ultimately the two people standing at the consoles on either side that shocked him the most.

"Katt?" He asked, "Sergeant Rico?"

They both grinned at him.

"Hey, Slipstream." Katt told him.

A chair at one of the stations on either side of the deck swung around, revealing another face Finn had not expected to see.

Mannon smiled at his shock. "Ready to get us outta here, Finn?"

Finn stared down the deck to the pilot's chair. With Rico and Katt and Mannon there, the whole situation felt beyond unreal.

"I've never flown anything as big as this before." He murmured.

Rico let out a short laugh. "Like that's ever stopped you."

One of the consoles started beeping. Terra hurried over and glanced at the console for a moment before saying something that sounded vaguely like a swear. "They're on to us. Finn, we need to get moving, or we're going to have a lot of explaining to do."

Finn nodded, his heart resolved. "I'm on it."

He dropped Jake to the floor, who awoke with a start. "What the … hey, Finn! Where are you going!"

"Come on!" Finn shouted as he ran to the front of the ship. "I'm gonna need your help!"

He hit the chair in mid-run, his momentum spinning him around until he was facing the controls. They were old, but no older than the old Tyrael fighters. In a matter of minutes, he managed to locate the basics.

"I can't imagine they don't have some security on this thing." Finn commented as he warmed up the engines.

"Not much reason to." Answered Katt from his headpiece. "Sure, it's a relic, but it's also four-hundred years old. As far as they know, it's just full out outdated junk."

"As far as they know?"

Terra replied, "It's been getting a few upgrades lately, thanks to my employer. We've been planning this for awhile; you and your friend are just a timely bonus."

"Glad to hear it." Finn said. "Are we clear to leave?"

"Almost." The ship shook for a moment. "There; the gravity tether's off-line. We're good to go."

"Okay then." Finn said, steeling himself, "Let's give 'em a story they won't forget!"

The Normandy rose away from the docking ring surrounding it, tearing a few lighting fixtures out as it did so. The arms of the station were already beginning to close, but Finn was just a little faster. He slipped through two of the arms and sped them away as fast as the Normandy would take them.

His sensor panel started beeping; several Alliance ships were following them.

"Yo, captain!" Terra called out. "Now would be a good time for us to get lost!"

"Then hold on to something!" He shouted back as he brought the engine back online.

The Normandy entered FTL. Predictably, some of the ships following them did likewise.

Finn forced his eyes to remain open as he had done so many times before. It was hard at first, not blinking, but as the seconds passed, he wasn't even aware of the discomfort anymore. As the edges of the stream began to swim into his vision, he forced everything from his mind except the stream.

When describing what happened later, the crew of the pursuing ships all said the same thing; it was as though the Normandy simply vanished.


	32. Chapter 32 - It's not Over Yet!

Chapter 32

**It's Not Over Yet**

Finn let out a deep sigh as he brought the Normandy out of the Stream.

"We did it." He breathed.

"Uh, yeah." Jake said confusedly. "What did we do again?"

Someone patted him on the shoulder, saying, "We ran away to fight another day."

Finn glanced back at Terra. "Thanks. Y'know, for rescuing me."

"Not a problem." She told him. "Besides, I figured it was time for a bit of karma to go your way."

He stared out of the Normandy's windows for a few moment before asking, "What now?"

"Now, we have a little talk with my caregiver." Kyra told him as she rubbed Jake's headplating. "Like I said, I've been trying to catch you for ages now. Now that I've got you, she'd like to have a little word with you."

"Who is it?" Finn asked.

Terra held a finger to her lips, saying, "That would be telling. I'll send you the coordinates in a minute; for now, just head to the nearest Relay."

Terra left, only for Mannon to take her place.

"Hey, Finn." She said, sitting in the copilot's chair. "You okay?"

"A bit stunned by all this." He admitted. "When they threw me in a cell, this wasn't how I pictured it ending up."

Glancing at her, he asked, "What about you? Doesn't leaving like this make you a deserter too?"

"Maybe. Then again, maybe I felt I could do more good here, looking out for my little brother."

She tousled his hair, chuckling. Finn chuckled too, but it quickly became a sigh.

"You miss Kyra, don't you?" She asked.

"And the others." Finn admitted. "I hated seeing you go, but losing everyone else just makes me feel kinda empty."

After a moment's hesitation, Mannon said, "It's not goodbye. Not forever. We're a family, remember?"

He smiled at her sentiment. "Yeah. A family."

A snore from Jake made them both laugh.

Terra's coordinates were for a planet in the Hades Nexus's Hoplos System known as Trident. It was mostly ocean, with just a few small bits of land that were in extremely high demand. Some effort had been made to expand the land mass artificially, but well over ninety percent of the planet was still oceans.

Aside from the populace fighting over what little land there was, most of Trident's life lived in the ocean. This was fortunate, as the Normandy was fairly easy to recognize.

The coordinates brought them to a large spot of ocean with nothing visible for miles. Finn checked the coordinates again just to make sure he was in the right place.

"Uh, Terra?" He asked, glancing back at the CIC.

She had dragged a chair from somewhere, and was currently sitting with her feet resting on one of the Rails. Glancing up, she asked, "Let me guess; you followed my coordinates and now we're in the middle of an ocean."

"Er, yeah."

She hopped out of her chair and walked down to the front of the ship. "Up."

"Huh?"

"I'll take her from here."

Shrugging, Finn gave up his chair. He couldn't help but be reluctant; it was really comfortable.

Terra sat down and quickly took control of the ship. "You ever hear the story about the Cerberus spy who vanished on Trident? They searched the whole planet for the guy, Skye Turnick, I believe was his name. They ended up giving up; I mean, it was pretty obvious that he just left the planet, right?"

She moved the ship very close to the ocean, continuing, "It didn't help that it was during the rain season. They ended up calling off the search. Of course, that was just the local government; other parties kept looking."

She paused to grin at him. "This is pretty cool."

She brought the ship further down. To Finn's shock, they passed through the water with no resistance and continued to descend normally. Peering up above them, he realized that they were in a long tube, the top of which was projecting an image of the ocean.

"You're right." He said, grinning. "That's pretty damn cool. How do you keep the water out?"

"It extends over the ocean. We just open the top when someone's coming through. It's designed to completely submerge if necessary, but no one ever noticed it before."

They continued to descend down the long tube until they reached a large landing pad at the very bottom.

"There we go!" She said cheerily as she activated the landing gear. "You should go meet the others in the shuttle bay."

"Uh, sure." Finn said, rubbing the back of his head. "I guess I'll see you later."

"Sooner than you might think." She told him, not bothering to turn around.

Mannon, Rico, and Katt were waiting for him in the shuttle bay.

"And there he is!" Katt grinned at him. "The hero of the hour."

"Well, the renegade anyway." Finn replied.

Rico chuckled appreciatively. "Don't be so worried. The Boss isn't so bad."

"You work for the same person as Terra?" Jake asked curiously.

Katt and Rico exchanged glances.

"You'll see soon enough." Katt told him. "You and Mannon go on ahead; we'll meet up later."

Finn looked at Mannon, who just shrugged. Seeing as he wasn't going to get any more answers there, Finn headed down the ramp and onto the landing pad.

Finn's omni-tool activated. "Oh, right; directions. Just hit those double-doors straight ahead and keep going straight until you reach the body scanner."

"Uh, thanks." Finn replied.

As they walked down the hallway, Finn felt apprehensive; he knew he should be more trusting, but he really had no idea who could possibly be. Even Jake was strangely silent.

The hallway was filled with spacious windows. Finn thought they were aquariums at first; they were filled with all manner of fish and sea life. As they kept moving, however, he realized that the movement of the fish was steady; more than once, a fish appeared to be swimming backwards.

"We're moving." Finn whispered. "This is some kind of underwater mobile base or something. These panels must allow water to flow freely around the corridors.

"Whoa!" Jake said, peering through one of the windows. "It must be huge!"

The corridors themselves were well lit and spacious; comfort had been an obvious concern. Finn noticed special seals at regular intervals, obviously some kind of system for shutting off areas with leaks. Whoever had designed it obviously knew what they were talking about. Was it an old Cerberus facility like Terra had indicated, or something else?

At long last, they reached the end of the corridor. As Finn approached, the body scanner shot a beam of light out that encompassed him.

"Agent Finn Cresste." Said a high-pitched computer voice. "Permission granted. Please proceed inside."

The doors slid open to reveal a large chamber with a clear ceiling revealing the ocean above, including a large whale-like creature that happened to be passing above them. The room was obviously some sort of meeting point; there were many chairs surrounding a holo-projector in the center of the room. No less than eight doors surrounded the room on all sides, no doubt leading into other parts of the base.

Finn stared at the creature above them in awe as it swam by, letting out a haunting sound not unlike that of a whale. "Incredible."

"I thought New Elysia would be the most magnificent sight I'd ever lay my eyes on." Mannon said, echoing Finn's sentiments."

One of the doors across the chamber slid open. Finn barely had time to turn before he heard a voice that made his heart pound shout, "Finn!"

He caught Kyra as she launched herself at him and tackled him to the floor. Her quick hands caught his head before it could bang against the hard metal and held it fast as she gave him a kiss that made his whole body tingle.

Hugging his chest, she said, "You scared the crap outta me, Finn. Don't do that again, or I'll bop you for real!"

He let out a happy sigh as he rubbed her hair. "I'm glad to see you too, Kyra."

He moved to kiss her again when another familiar voice said, "Embarrassed; Really, you two? Right in front of all of us?"

"Darsan?" Finn asked.

As Kyra helped him to stand, he saw that it was Darsan. Eri was there as well, as was Xyn.

Eri shook Finn's hand, saying, "I still can't believe that actually worked. Sucks that the idiots didn't listen, but hey; at least you tried, right?"

"Yeah." Finn said, his spirits dipping slightly at the mention of his recent failure.

Kyra squeezed his hand, saying, "Don't look so down. It's not over yet."

"Indeed." Said a new voice Finn didn't recognize.

Everyone turned to see an asari approaching them, accompanied by a being that Finn didn't recognize. He had four eyes like a batarian, an armored crest above his eyes like a turian, and a dour expression that made it clear he wasn't much for small talk. There was a definite feel of strength to the man … if he was a man, Finn thought to himself.

"Finn Cresste." The asari said, smiling. "I've followed your mission with great interest. You've proven yourself quite capable despite limited resources and quite a fox on your tail."

"I couldn't have done it without my crew." Finn said, putting his arm around Kyra and Darsan. Grinning, he said, "Well, maybe without Jake."

"Hey!"

"Just kidding, buddy."

The person beside the asari narrowed his eyes. "This is the new champion? He is little more than a boy."

"Javik." The asari said, a slight tone of rebuke in her voice.

Grimacing, Javik bowed his head, saying, "I … apologize."

"No harm done." Finn told him, holding out his hand.

Javik looked at it for a moment before shaking it solemnly. There was a strange look in his eyes for a moment before he let go.

"Perhaps I was mistaken." He said, sounding sincere. "But to stand what is to come, you will need more than luck and quick thinking."

"There will be plenty of time for that later." The asari told him. "For now, I'm sure Finn and his crew have many questions."

Everyone was looking at him. As much as he hated to admit it, he was the captain; of course everyone was expecting him to ask the questions.

"Why did you help us?" Realizing that sounded a bit ungrateful, he quickly said, "Not that I'm not glad, mind. It's just … we're hardly important people in the grand scheme of things."

"Perhaps." She said, a smile on her lips. "How important a person is or isn't is for the historians to decide. As for why, perhaps I felt you deserved some help. Perhaps I felt karma owed you something after all you put on the line just to warn the Council … or perhaps I know how it feels to have something that important, that terrible to say, only to be ignored."

As silence fell in the room, Finn realized she was waiting for another question. Coughing, he asked, "What was Terra talking with Krieger about."

"Krieger? Oh, of course; he was the one who discovered the one you call Billy. I was his buyer; I recognized that it was a Cerberus vessel, and intended to buy it from him. Unfortunately, Cerberus got there first." She shook her head sadly, saying, "It was a shame that he was hurt. He is doing well, by the way. He wanted to be here when you arrived, but he is still in recovery."

"Good." Finn said, nodding. "I'm glad to hear that."

He thought for a time before asking, "What is it you expect me … us to do now?"

"Nothing." She told him truthfully. "If you wish to leave, we only ask that you keep our presence a secret. Given your own renegade status, I'm sure you won't begrudge us a secret hideout."

"If, however, you wish to stay," Said Javik, "And pit yourself against the Illusive Man, we will give you the tools and training to fight him and the rest of Cerberus. It will not be an easy battle … but what would you give to keep your family safe?"

Finn's eyes widened at the question Billy had asked him. It was as though Javik knew.

"Who are you?" Finn asked before he could stop himself.

"I am Javik, the last of the Protheans." Javik told him, "As well as Liara's companion."

"Surprised; The Protheans?" Darsan asked, "I didn't realize any of you were still kicking around."

Javik showed his teeth; it looked like he was attempting to smile, and failing badly.

"Wait!" Kyra said, her eyes on the asari. "You're Liara? Liara T'soni?

"The same." Liara smiled at Kyra, saying, "I stood by your ancestor, Kyra'Shor nar Shepard. I was little more than a child then, but by the end, he was one of my dearest friends. I'm sure he'd be proud to see his descendant was such a strong and beautiful woman."

Kyra blushed to the tips of the gentle folds of her ears. "T-thank you."

"Shepard was a great warrior." Javik said, reverence clear in his voice. "It was by his will the Reapers met their end."

"Well," Liara corrected. "Most of them. But my name is only part of the answer. You all know of me, even though you may not know it."

Who had the resources to track the Ulasomorf across the galaxy? What organization besides Cerberus could work from the shadows while subtly influencing the movement of so many different people? Who could spring someone from the Citadel with ease, and steal one of the most famous ships in Alliance history?

"By the Creator." Finn whispered as he realized the truth.

"Dude." Jake said, turning to Finn. "I told you!"

A sly smile crossed Liara's face as she said, "I am the Shadow Broker."

* * *

_Aaaaaaand that's the end of the first 'game' of the trilogy. I sincerely hope you've enjoyed the journey so far. I will be continuing with Mass Effect 5 – (not sure on the subtitle just yet) in a month, maybe less. Oh, I still have plenty more story fuel; to be honest, I just need a break for other projects; this could use a good quick edit, and I have two books in my original Elsewhere Universe books that need formatting for paperback release (and hey, if you liked this, maybe you should give my first novel, "A Dreamer's Knight" a go. I'm more interested in reviews than money, so if you're interested, just PM me or look me up on facebook (there are surprisingly few Alan Tryths out there), and I'll send you a free pdf or ebook version of 'A Dreamer's Knight' or 'The Sakamota Journals: Sera and the Dragon', or both, if you prefer. The paperback's available on amazon as well (I'd put it cheaper if I could, but createspace, man), if you, like Finn, prefer that kind of thing. I like a good paperback myself, but this is the digital age._

_A big thanks to everyone who left a review for this; believe me when I say that leaving a comment (especially a good comment) makes it so much easier to keep writing. Feel free to ask me any questions (or to point out any blunders; I kept a window open to the Mass Effect wiki during this, but I'm sure I still managed to mess up something), or just pm me if you want to talk. I'm not sure if it'll let me post an email address, but I can be reached at **alantryth at elsewhereincorporate dot com**. Again, thanks for reading, and I hope you stick around for Mass Effect 5 – The Unknown Subtitle!_

_And no, that's not what I'm going to call it!_


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